Submission
by missmocha77
Summary: After an accident, Sakura is pregnant with Sasuke's child. She keeps the father a secret from her son, but people talk and Sakura finally decides to leave Konoha. However, Sasuke takes them hostage, and Sakura has to protect her son from his father.
1. It Was Just an Accident

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

"Sakura, I think it's time we stopped pretending," Tsunade said grimly. "How far along are you?"

"...twenty-seven weeks, Shishou," Sakura answered honestly, her head hung in shame. Overworked and overstressed, Tsunade threw her head back and emptied the contents of her third sake bottle of the night. She smacked her lips together and slammed the bottle down when she was finished.

"I see." The two women carried on with their paperwork, side by side, all too aware of the awkwardness that was sure to come. The Hokage was now on her fifth bottle and was not showing signs of being drunk. Yet. Sakura refrained for obvious reasons. Finally, curiosity got to the older woman after five months-or rather, five minutes- of restraint. "Who's the father?" she inquired, keeping her face emotionless as she took a long gulp of her favorite drink.

"Shishou, you're not going to like this," Sakura pleaded, her cheeks warming considerably. Her mentor just waved her comment off.

"Sakura, I am too old to have anything surprise me anymore. Just humor me." The girl remained silent. "Well, who is it?"

"Please, Shishou," Sakura implored once more. Seeing the firm resolve in the eyes of the Hokage, Sakura sighed in submission. "It's Uchiha Sasuke."

The older woman's eyes widened, and she slammed her fist down on the desk. "WHAT?" she roared. "The father is him?" Sakura nodded meekly, something she had been doing ever since she had gotten pregnant. "Jesus Christ, Sakura. You're only sixteen! And you _**know**_ what type of man he is!"

Sasuke had gone off with Orochimaru, helping him build his village and empire, which was now one of the top ninja villages. He had not yet succeeded in killing his brother, but he had succeeded in killing vast amounts of people. Which wasn't really anything to be proud about. On one solo mission to the border of lightning country, Sakura had run in to Sasuke. Or really, he ran in to her. One of their daimyo had been sick and dying, and Sakura was given permission to come near the border in order to heal him. On the way back, there was some interception from Sasuke.

OOO

_"Halt!" the guard called out, placing himself as a physical barrier between Sakura and the gates of Yugakure. "Do you have permission to pass through here?" Otogakure had taken over Yugakure, and there were now heavily armed guards at each of the entrances. Since Sakura was running low on food and supplies for the three day journey back, she figured it would be okay to pass through here, but apparently, it wasn't. _

_"I-I, no, but-"_

_"Then you cannot come through these gates, ma'am. I'm sorry." _

_"B-but you don't understand! I have to-"_

_"Sakura."_

_It was that voice. That sinful, infuriating voice. The one she could never forget. The one she loved._

_"Sasuke-kun..." _

_The guard just looked at Sakura, then at Sasuke, then at Sakura again. "Sasuke-sama, I swear that I wasn't going to let her in! She was just relentless and I-"_

_"Stand down. She's with me." The guard was left speechless, words forming in his mouth, but no sound coming out. Finally, he straightened his back and bowed deeply. "As you wish, Sasuke-sama." He stepped aside and let the pink-haired medic pass through. Sasuke gestured with his head for Sakura to come nearer. Sakura complied hesitantly. Although she still had the tiniest crush on Sasuke, she would not let her guard down at any costs. After all, he was, in her eyes, still an S-class criminal._

_"How have you been, Sakura?" his voice brought her out of her thoughts._

_"How do you think I've been?" she snapped vehemently. Sasuke just sighed. _

_"There's no need to be immature, Sakura. I just asked how you were doing. My intent was just to exchange pleasantries." Sakura rolled her eyes. _

_"So now you want to talk? It's a little late for that. You should've tried three years ago," she hissed, stomping childishly. Sasuke just sighed again, not pushing the subject further._

_"How's Naruto?" he asked. Sakura groaned. _

_"He's the same, but he's different," Sakura explained. _

_"Hn," he replied. Sakura put up the pretense of being exasperated at his one syllable words, but secretly, she was very pleased to have met him here. She was still in love with him, after all. They walked together for a few more minutes in silence before Sasuke finally decided to interrogate her."Why are you here?" Sakura sharply inhaled through her nose, surprised at the question. Did he really think she was here to destroy the village or something._

_"Buying supplies," she said shortly. "That's all."_

_Sasuke smirked. "Sadly enough. I believe you. You're too weak to be on your own for a few days, as usual." Sakura just smiled. _

_"You're probably right, Sasuke-kun." No! Why did she just say that? She should've said that she wasn't weak. She should've proven to him that she wasn't weak...! _

_"Hn," was the ever so heartfelt reply._

_Sasuke had been unnaturally kind that day. Paying for supplies, bringing her out to dinner, and offering to get her a hotel room._

_"Really, Sasuke. You've already done so much for me. I know the rooms are full, but I'll just camp outside for the night. There's no need."_

_"I insist." And that was the end of it. Sakura couldn't argue with him. She probably never would._

_Once entering the hotel room, Sasuke cut off all means of conversation with a kiss._

OOO

Sakura remembered his mechanical touches, his empty eyes, how he was neither rough or gentle. The reason the sex was so memorable was because it had been with him, and it was so heartbreaking that Sakura could probably still cry about it if she thought too hard about it. Tsunade cleared her throat, deliberately bringing Sakura out of her daydream. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked.

"Him," Sakura corrected. She would not tolerate anyone calling her baby an "it." Tsunade nodded.

"I apologize. Him. Are you planning to give him up to adoption or-"

"I am going to raise him," interjected Sakura. Tsunade placed one hand on Sakura's back and forced Sakura to look her in the eyes.

"Life is going to be hard for you two, you understand that, right?" Sakura nodded firmly. "People will send assassins after you two if they find out that he is Uchiha."

"He doesn't need to know who is father is," Sakura mumbled softly. "Please keep it a secret, Shishou."

"Very well, Sakura. I will honor that much. I will pass a decree from anyone talking openly about it, but I cannot control what people say in their households and private. However, severe punishment will be administered if I find out someone has said anything about it. If he looks like Sasuke, though..."

"There's probably nothing you can do about it," Sakura finished with a sigh. She slumped over her desk and growled. "Why was I so stupid? I should've pushed him away. I hate how weak I am."

Tsunade shook her head slowly, finishing off her last sake for the night. "It's not your fault," she seethed. "It's that bastard's fault. I know boys like him; they just pressure girls into things until it's virtually impossible to say no." Sakura just nodded. Tsunade took a stern grip on Sakura's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Sakura. I promise."

Sakura smiled at her Shishou. She would always have faith in Tsunade, no matter what.

OOO

"Sakura-chan, you're doing great!" Naruto encouraged. "Just keep pushing!"

"Shut up, Naruto! I am pushing!" A rather painful contraction passed through Sakura's abdomen, and she let out a strangled cry. "I am going to kill Sasuke! I hate him for doing this to me!" she hissed, squeezing Naruto's hand until he was sure some of the bones were broken. He attempted to keep a straight face, but to no avail. He was grimacing at the extreme pain.

"Come on, Forehead! Keep it going. He's almost out!" Ino said, placing her hand by Sakura's posterior, ready to catch the baby's head that was just starting to pop out.

Sakura screamed, and with one final push, the baby was out, crying loudly.

"You did it, Sakura-chan! He's out!" Sakura laughed, her voice strained due to hours of screaming. Then she swiftly fainted. "Ino, Ino, she's out!" Naruto yelled.

"That's to be expected, idiot! She was in labor for twenty hours!" Ino snapped with a scowl, sweat plastering her hair to her forehead. "Man, this little guy is loud. So unlike his father."

OOO

Sakura cooed at her son in the newborn care center. Beside her, Ino was beaming at him. "What are you going to call him?" she asked. "Sasuke II?" she mocked. Sakura just shook her head.

"No. That would just be cruel." Ino laughed.

"To Sasuke."

"To the baby. No, I'm going to call him Kenji. Naruto helped pick out the name," she said softly. Ino smiled never faltered.

"Forehead, I never thought you were going to get knocked up so quickly. I was sure it would be me. But I get to be an auntie!" the Yamanaka squealed. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Please, Ino-"

"Did you hear about it?" Two nurses whispered outside. Unable to restrain themselves, Sakura and Ino listened in. "That boy is Uchiha Sasuke's son! The traitor!"

"Oh my goodness! Who would ever want to have that man's child?"

"Yeah, I agree. That thing will probably be a monster, just like the rest of them!"

"She should've just aborted it." Ino opened her mouth to speak, but Sakura was already stepping out of the nursery. The two nurses noticed her, and one raised her hand to cover her mouth. "Haruno-san, I'm so sorry. I-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sakura snarled. Ino snapped her mouth shut, truly surprised at her quick change in attitude. "I don't care about your stupid apologies; they mean less than nothing to me. I don't want you badmouthing my baby boy. I will report this to the Hokage. Don't think I won't. Now shoo! Run off and gossip about this somewhere else. Preferably safe from my fist." The two women, now scowling, scurried off like mice, grumbling all the way. Ino whistled.

"Never thought you had it in you, Forehead. You never did that for yourself when we were seven."

"Well, I love my son more than I love myself."


	2. And After Six Years

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

I have posted this chapter again because I updated late last night, and you probably did not get a chance to see the message before others started flooding your inbox. I apologize. For those who have already read it, it contains the same content so you do not need to read it again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

"Mommy! Mommy! I made a hundred percent!" Kenji cried out cheerfully, holding the test out and up. "Aren't you proud of me? Aren't you proud, Mommy? Look! Look! Look!" Sakura chuckled and lifted her son into her arms.

"Yes, Kenji. You did well. I'm proud."

"You know what? You know? Iruka-sensei, he said that I made the highest score in the whole class! The highest score!" Kenji often had a tendency to repeat himself. Sometimes two times or more. Overall, he seemed like a very happy child, and he did not cry often. Except when there were bullies.

And there were a hell of a lot of them.

If Kenji fought back, the mother of the mean child would walk to Sakura's house and demand an apology. Sakura would promptly tell them to suck it. The mother would then post a complaint to the Hokage, who would promptly yell at them for bullying his nephew.

The Hokage was, of course, Naruto.

"Uncle Naruto took me out to ramen today. At I-Ichi-tabu," he stuttered. Sakura frowned in confusion for a moment but then she realized what her son was talking about.

"At Ichiraku's?" she asked. Kenji nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah, there, there!" Naruto loved Kenji dearly, almost like his own son. In place of the actual father, he helped Kenji develop basic skills, and Kenji was most definitely at the top of his class.

Now, if only he could make a friend or two.

Or maybe just one. That was fine, too. People knew who his father was, but they were forbidden to talk about it to the new generation, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't stop their children from interacting with him. Most of them hated and were disgusted by him, but they didn't even know the reason why. But it didn't matter. Children learned how to hate by the older folk. That much hadn't changed since Naruto's time.

Sakura looked at the clock, finding that her chicken was still about an hour premature. "Kenji, why don't you go out and play? You can come back in an hour and eat dinner with Mommy." Kenji's face brightened.

"Okay! Bye, Mommy!" he shouted, bolting out the door after giving her a brief kiss on the cheek. Sakura smiled at his fading figure then headed back to work.

Life was hard as a single mom. Sakura took on shifts at the hospital and did work as a field medic. Every time she went on a mission, she was worried she wouldn't make it back. Who would take care of Kenji?

Okay, her parents would, but that didn't mean she wouldn't worry. Kenji was the world to her, and she didn't want him to end up a depressing shell of a person like his father.

Kenji had dark (red) hair, onyx eyes, but he looked more like Sakura than Sasuke for now so she was grateful for that. Not too many could tell, but she could see the beginnings of a long, narrow face and nose. True to her word, Tsunade had kept his father a secret, but pretty soon, everyone would be able to tell. Especially with his hair starting to stick up.

OOO

Sakura heard a thud outside. Screaming. Crying. She hurried to her front door, her stomach churning in anticipation.

"-told you to never come near my daughter again, you filthy, little rat!" a female voice shrilled.

"Mom, I wanted to play with Kenji."

"Honey, you're mistaken. You could never want to play with someone like him." Sakura could _feel_ the disgust behind the voice as if it was tangible. She felt herself get more and more angry as she stepped out onto her porch. With a sharp eye, she glared at the mother. Sakura spotted a fresh, bruising red mark on Kenji's face in the shape of a hand. His lower lip was trembling, and tears threatened to spill.

"What did you do?" she asked the mother calmly.

"Sakura! I've told you time and time again to keep your son away from my daughter!" the mother screeched, her little girl tugging on the expensive skirt that she did not deserve.

"Mama, I already told you. I want to play with Kenji!" she cried out. "Why can't I play with him?"

"Darling, he's not someone you should play with. Go play with Kaoru instead."

"But Kaoru's mean! I like Kenji!" she whined.

"No! His father's no good, and the apple never falls far from the tree!" she hissed, glancing at Sakura. Something burst within her, and she imagined forty-six ways to kill the woman without getting caught.

"Go away," she said gravely.

"Before I kill you."

The woman gasped and ushered her daughter home, whispering and scolding all the while. Sakura sighed and looked at her trembling son, his clothes dirty and stained. She bent over and dusted him off, wiping the tears from his face. "Sweetheart, you okay?" Kenji was silent so Sakura decided not to push the issue as she healed the now purple bruise on his face.

"Mommy, was Daddy a bad person?" Kenji asked, a frightened look on his face. Sakura froze. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, not sure what to say. _Should I tell him the truth or just feed him more lies? _

"Yes, Kenji. Your daddy's a very bad person," she choked, tears of her own stinging at her eyes. Seeing her son's disappointed look, she forced herself to smile. "But baby, you're nothing like him." His face brightened, and he beamed at her, latching onto her neck. "Kenji, you're a little big for this now, aren't you?"

The chicken was forgotten and had been burned.

OOO

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you want to leave?" Naruto asked, his mouth open in surprise. Sakura nodded.

"Naruto, the cat will force its way out of the bag one way or another. Besides-" she looked out the window "-there's nothing left for us here." Naruto gazed at her, wanting to deny her request but knew he couldn't. He sighed, giving in.

"All right, Sakura-chan. You win." She gave her best friend a soft smile, truly appreciative of his answer. "One condition. You have to send us updates every month, and you have to come back to visit."

"That's two, Naruto."

"You know what, I don't care. If you don't send us an update every month, I am going to assume the worst and send a squad out searching for you. Anyway, if you need any help, you can just shoot me a hawk."

"Naruto-"

"Yeah, they'd be dead, wouldn't they?"

OOO

"You're LEAVING?" sobbed Ino. "After all this time? Didn't we mean anything to you?" She let out a howl and blew her nose viciously on the tissue. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Ino, you're being overdramatic. Of course you meant something to me. But-" she looked at her best friend's comfortable room one last time "-I have to do what's best for Kenji. Ino nodded, her eyes puffy and nose red. "I'll visit," Sakura reassured with a shrug.

"You'd better!" her blonde friend snarled, tackling her with a hug. "You'd better take good care of my nephew; he'd better be in one piece when you two get back!" Sakura just laughed.

OOO

"Kenji!" Naruto boomed. "Got all your stuff?" Kenji nodded enthusiastically, a grin spread over his face. "You excited, buddy?"

"Yeah, Uncle Naruto! Mommy says that we have more o-o-oppatunyunaties now!" Kenji cheered, throwing his arms in the air. Naruto looked puzzled.

"Do you mean opportunites?" he asked, ruffling the young boy's hair.

"Yeah, yeah! That!" Sakura smiled at the boy, shifting her backpack to a more comfortable position. After taking a long, good look at her son's nose, Sakura finally turned to her mother.

"I'm leaving, Mom," she whispered before crushing the older woman with a hug. The embrace was tight and heartfelt, and Sakura let go when she felt complete. Her mother patted her hand, squeezing it.

"Sweetheart, I'm fifty-two years old. I would like to see my grandson from time to time before I croak," she reminded, voice raspy from twenty years of smoking.

Sakura huffed. "Trust me, Mom. Stop smoking, and you'll live forever." Her mother just cackled at that. "I wish I could see Dad off before I go," Sakura lamented. Her mother just shook her head.

"He'll cool off eventually, honey. He can't be mad forever." _Oh, yes. He can,_ Sakura thought, but she dismissed it with a nod. Sakura and Kenji switched places, Kenji starting to talk animatedly to his grandma.

"So Sakura-chan. This is it, huh?" Naruto asked timidly. "You know I love you, right?'

Sakura nodded. "Yes. You've only told me a thousand times," she chuckled half-heartedly. Naruto grinned, but it fell quickly.

"You know I'm _in_ love with you, right?"

A pause. "Yes, Naruto. I know," Sakura said softly. Naruto swiftly enveloped his teammate in his arms, his much larger form completely dominating hers. Sakura knew she would miss this. Breathing in the scent of his shirt, she wrapped her arms as tight as she could around him. After a long while, they separated, neither of them feeling satisfaction in letting go.

"Well, bye, Naruto." Sakura waved at her friend, taking her son's hand. He shook his hand almost violently at his grandmother.

"Bye-bye, Grandma!" he cried out, smiling so wide that he could barely open his eyes.

Sakura took one last glance at the village she grew up in before walking forward on to her new path.

OOO

Sakura and Kenji had moved into a little country village where everybody knew anybody's business. It was impossible for anyway to keep secrets, due to the large percentage of gossipers, so Sakura had to keep most information about herself private. She ran a small clinic, barely got any tough customers, and if she did, the customer would probably receive some public humiliation. So all in all, life was good. Kenji had even made some friends, one girl, Kara, and one boy, Kyou. He called them the "three Ks." It was absolutely adorable.

But the situation changed.

Naruto sent a shocking were rumors going around that Orochimaru found out that there was an Uchiha heir. He wasn't sure who it was, but he was going to find him so in the future, he could repossess the body. Sakura decided that it wasn't safe to stay in one place for a long time. She just didn't know how to break the news to Kenji. They had only been there for three months, but he already had a strong attachment to the village.

"Kenji," Sakura called out nervously. "Come here." The boy skipped up to his mother, his eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Mommy?" Sakura was silent at first but then sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Kenji. Sweetheart, we're in danger in this town." It was true; this town was startling close to Otogakure and Yugakure. Kenji's eyes widened. "We have to leave."

"I don't want to go," he said, shaking with pent up anger.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"I'm not going!" he roared, exploding. He kicked a table, causing it to topple over. "I won't go, I won't go, I won't go, I won't go, I won't go!" His face turned quite red, and he was gritting down on his teeth. Sakura attempted to pacify him, but Kenji would have none of it. Finally, Sakura threw her hands up, having enough for one day, and decided to play an unfair, yet true, card. Orochimaru wouldn't only attack Sakura and Kenji; he would attack the whole village. It was an unsubtle power play.

"Kenji, if we don't leave, Kara and Kyou will be in danger." That made Kenji freeze in his tracks. His eyes widened exponentially, showing fear for his friends' lives. "Whether you want to leave or not, I care for the people in this town. I will drag you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to."

Kenji was silent, gathering his thoughts. He sat on the bed, twiddling his thumbs and swinging his legs. He never looked up once at his mother, but it was clear that he was thinking over her words. Sakura knew it would only be a matter of time before he begrudgingly agreed. Finally, he spoke.

"Do we have to?" a quiet voice whined. Sakura smiled sadly at her little boy.

"Yes." She plopped her son into her lap. "I'm sorry, baby."

OOO

Sasuke will make an appearance next chapter.

Thank you to those who reviewed, alerted, and faved. If you could do so again, it'd make my week. ;)


	3. We Meet Again

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Thanks to all that reviewed and favorited and alerted! I have so many now, and it means a lot! Keep up the good work!

OOO

"Holy shit!" Sakura cried out, stumbling as she was running from their would-be captor. "Kenji, on my back!" Her little boy obeyed, swiftly jumping on her back so they could run away faster. Why did they ALWAYS get in this sort of situation?

It was the fifth Oto nin they had come across that week!

OOO

_It was blazing hot outside so Sakura decided that they would ask someone if they could spend the night inside. A local bartender kindly said yes so Sakura and Kenji went inside and sat around a table. They had been homeless for the past two months, and frankly, Sakura was sick of it. She couldn't go back to Konoha because it would put normal civilians and shinobi alike in danger. Same with everywhere else._

_Sakura attempted to drink away her worry. Luckily, she had a high tolerance so she wouldn't start getting drunk until her twentieth drink. She would limit herself to one. Kenji moaned._

_"Mommy, I'm thirsty." Sakura patted his back. They were nearly broke, but Sakura would spare a little. _

_"Hey," she motioned to the bartender. He came over to her, very attentive. "Do you have any juice?" The bartender smiled amicably and got to it. Once he was done with his task, he slid the fruity beverage. Sakura rummaged around in her bag for her wallet._

_"No pay," he said. "On the house." Sakura's face softened._

_"Thank you." He nodded._

_"Cute kid. I've never seen hair like that, though." _

_"...I see." Sakura looked at Kenji. His hair was turning darker and darker, verging on burgundy. The ends were also starting to spike up like the tail feathers of a chicken. Or duck. They were both poultry so it really didn't matter. The thing that mattered was that it looked Uchiha freaking Sasuke's hair. She would have to give Kenji a haircut sooner or later."Thanks," she finally replied after trailing off for a few moments._

_Kenji's thirst was sated for the time being so Sakura was satisfied. All was well until one particularly shady and handsome man came up to her._

_"You from around here?" he asked. Sakura nodded her head, hoping he would go away. Yes, it was a lie, but girls from out of town usually seemed more appealing. Something new, exotic. Especially Sakura with her pink hair and green eyes."Really? Are all the girls here as beautiful as you?"Sakura hated that blatant, outright flirting. It was nauseating. _

_"I have a kid," she flatly informed him. The man smiled._

_Like, really smiled._

_Like, sinisterly smiled._

_"Is he that little boy over there?" _

_Sakura looked into his eyes. She knew those eyes. They were horrible, disgusting. Malicious, and they wanted her little boy for something. Needed, even. Sakura froze._

_**He knew.**_

_She got up. "I think we're done." She was shaking with something like fear and anger all mixed up together. He smiled. His clamped onto her arm insistently, unwilling to let her go._

_"No, we're not. Not until I say so." Sakura winced. His grip was close to breaking her arm. Bracing herself, Sakura brought her arm back into fist and plunged her arm forward. It connected with the ninja's nose, drawing out a cry from the Oto nin. "Bitch!"_

_But Sakura was already out the door, pulling Kenji along._

_The Oto nin was already in full pursuit._

OOO

"Mommy," Kenji called out. "I'm tired."

"It's okay, baby. Go to sleep. Mommy will keep running for the both of us." They had been running for six hours, now daylight. Sakura, kind of out of practice, was starting to get a bit tired.

For three hours more, she ran while Kenji slept. Then the worst thing happened as she ran into the forest.

And tripped.

Kenji rolled off her back as she skidded on the ground. Chakra almost depleted, she could barely move, but she forced out the energy to move. She rolled over her son, shielding him with her body. The Oto nin raised a sword, ready to kill her. Sakura closed her eyes, awaiting death and apologizing mentally to her son.

Before she closed them, she saw a fishing pole.

She opened them, very confused. The Oto nin had been knocked unconscious with a fishing pole. A man with black hair, dark eyes, and a good stature stood before her.

Uchiha Itachi. He looked to her.

"Sakura-san, are you all right?" Sakura just gaped with an awake Kenji in her arms.

"Itachi!" she hissed, scrambling to her feet and getting into a defense position. "What are you doing here? Akatsuki is-"

"Akatsuki no longer exists. And that is my line. You are trespassing," he informed her coolly. Dumbfounded, Sakura loosened her stance.

"This...you own this?" she asked.

Itachi nodded. "A total of thirty acres." Sakura's jaw could have hit the ground.

"And Akatsuki?"

"Disbanded." Itachi looked down to the boy. Then back up to Sakura. "He is-"

"None of your business!" snapped Sakura, getting into a defensive stance once again. Itachi held up his fishing pole.

"I believe I am an uncle," he said, pointing his rod at Kenji.

Kenji blinked.

OOO

"Itachi-san? Welcome home!" The blue-man called out from his fishing post. Sakura wrinkled her nose.

"Mommy, it's a mermaid!" Kenji cooed, amazed.

"Kenji-kun, that ugly man is most certainly not a mermaid," Itachi interjected. Kenji giggled.

Sakura told her son to go talk to the big man after getting reassurance from the elder Uchiha. They went to the porch of the traditional styled house. Sakura stroked the wood floor, relishing in the feel of it. He offered her some tea, but she politely declined. Well, kind of.

"Fuck no," she replied. He snorted lightly. "What did you want to talk about? Make it quick!"

"You do know about the Uchiha Massacre?"

"Hell yeah."

"Do you know of the coup?"

"Huh?"

In the next half hour, Sakura was shocked by the flurry of things that came out of Itachi's mouth.

OOO

"Oh my God!" Sakura gasped. "The elders really did that?" Itachi nodded.

"Do not repeat this to anyone. You will be killed." Sakura gulped.

"W-wait! They are still in power!"

"However, Naruto is the Hokage now. I have faith in him."

"Wow... Overconfident much?"

"Still, I doubt he will give into them. He is strong-willed." Sakura chuckled.

"A bit of a dummy, but yes, he is strong." They sipped the tea that Sakura eventually accepted in silence. Itachi cleared his throat.

"I see Orochimaru has been sending his henchmen after you." Sakura rolled her eyes.

She answered, "It's been endless, really. Just in one week-"

"Itachi!" a feminine voice sang. Sakura heard the tatami doors sliding and slamming, and a person running, presumably female. Sure enough, a woman came around the corner. She was heavy with child.

"H-Haruna!" Itachi whispered. His cheeks tinted red a little bit.

"Oh?" she asked, taking note of Sakura. "Who's this lovely, young woman?"

Sakura stood up, and she held out her hand, which the woman took and gave a firm shake. "I'm Haruno Sakura."

"Uchiha Haruna. Pleased to meet you." Sakura gave Itachi a toothy smile who surprisingly blushed.

OOO

"We have had trouble with Orochimaru as well," Itachi informed Sakura. "An Uchiha's chakra flow is slightly different from other shinobi, but it stands out. Including when a woman is in the phases of pregnancy. Everybody has chakra, but pregnant women tend to lose it sometime after conception. However, when you are with the child of an Uchiha, you maintain steady chakra flow or even gain more in order to protect the child. That is the way our genes work." Sakura reveled in this new bit of information. That was why all the Oto nin could probably tell that Kenji was different, excluding his hair of course...

"I will offer you protection if you need it."

Sakura gaped at him again. Itachi simply stared back blankly. "Why?" she blurted out. Itachi pointed at Kenji.

"That is my nephew. I love him."

"You just met him."

"I still do." Sakura looked at her son, learning how to fish from Kisame. Kisame evidently said something funny, and Kenji looked blankly at him as Haruna swatted the large man's arm. She looked at Haruna's swollen belly and made her decision.

"No. I can't endanger you like that. You have your own family." Itachi shook his head.

"Sakura-san, you are family now." Sakura just smiled sadly at that.

"Thank you, Itachi."

OOO

Sakura deigned to stay one night only before heading on their way. Sakura and Kenji were on their way to take a bath.

"Mommy, I like Auntie Haruna. She's nice!" Sakura laughed. She had talked with the pregnant woman. She was, indeed, nice. She was a bit of a bully to her husband, but that was okay. "Mommy, do we have to leave here too?" Sakura looked down at the boy.

"I'm afraid so, Kenji." Kenji pouted. Sighing, Sakura ruffled his hair. "We'll visit sometime." Kenji's face immediately brightened.

"Really?"

"Of course! Your mommy never lies!"

"That's a lie!" Sakura and Kenji laughed together, stripping themselves of clothes while the water ran. "Hey, this bath is big." Sakura sighed.

"It is, isn't it..." It was colossal, really. It was a traditional bath, square and wood. It was probably big enough to fit more than ten people at a time.

"Why isn't Auntie Haruna taking a bath with us?"

"She's probably taking a bath with Uncle Itachi."

"Hn, he's weird. Why?" Sakura flushed as erotic images sprung to her head.

"N-never mind. I'm sure they're taking separate baths."

OOO

The blue man and the Uchihas waved goodbye to Kenji and Sakura cheerfully. Kenji was sad to go but reciprocated enthusiastically. Sakura gave one wave, satisfied with just that much. "Mommy, where are we off to next?" Sakura fingered the wad of cash that Haruna had insisted that she had taken. It was a gift, she had said.

"I think we'll stay at a hotel for now."

OOO

"Welcome to the Kitsuchi Inn," the receptionist chirped. "What type of room would you like?"

"A single," Sakura droned. "We'll be staying here for three days at most." The lady smiled.

"I can arrange that for you. Since the staying time is undetermined, you will pay at the end of your visit." Sakura tried to smile but found that she couldn't. They had been walking in the rain for twenty-eight hours so they were both exhausted. Kenji was sleeping on her back, a coat shielding him from the offending droplets. The receptionist rummaged around in the desk for the keys. "I'm sorry...we don't get too many visitors any more...gosh, where'd I put it?" Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes impatiently. The woman gasped. "I found it!" She passed the key to Sakura quickly. "Enjoy your stay."

Sakura wearily walked up to the room. Her eyelids were drooping, but she couldn't afford to fall asleep yet. She needed to get Kenji into the bath, wash their soaked clothes, and brush their teeth. Kenji was starting to sag off her back so she bumped him up a little. "Hey, kiddo. It's time to get up."

"Wha...?" he asked sleepily. Sakura beamed at him.

"We're here. Let's take a bath!" Kenji nodded, still not fully awake.

Sakura had to take care of herself and a sleeping boy. Whoo. Being a mom was hard.

OOO

Sakura awoke to sounds of screaming with a start. She peeked out the window.

The town was on fire.

There were children running all around until one giant man came and slaughtered at least four of them. Kenji woke up slowly.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Sakura looked at her boy with fear. They couldn't stay here.

"Kenji, hurry up, go to the bathroom, and get dressed. We need to leave in ten minutes." So the two prepared themselves, packing and relieving their bladders. When all was done, Sakura took Kenji by the hand and sprinted to the staircase. The elevator was too risky now. Sakura bended over. "Get on my back, Kenji." Kenji, knowing better than to ask, complied easily, and Sakura started ascending the stairs. There were only two more flights till the top so the task was done relatively quickly. Sakura cracked open the door to the top of the inn, a fiery, orange light immediately shining a path in the crack. Opening it wide, Sakura gasped. Everything was falling apart. As she jumped from building to building, she found her heart start to clench, and she heard her son start to hyperventilate. Like the lamb to the lion, there were so many people that were dead. Their necks slit, their innards bared, their most private parts out for all to see. Sakura saw a woman with a baby being raped and could no longer help herself. She threw a kunai with accurate precision at the man's neck. He let out a strangled cry as he fell down into a lifeless heap. The woman gasped, bowed to Sakura, grabbed her baby, and ran.

Sakura let out a sigh as she took in the sight of the burning embers again. At least that woman was safe. For now.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a presence behind her. Somewhat powerful, too. She whipped her body around, but it was too late. The man kneed her in the stomach. Only due to Sakura's high pain tolerance did she allow herself to move back a little. If she moved too much, they would have fell off the building. If she didn't move at all, he would most definitely have broken her ribs. _In fact, he already broke one,_ she thought as she immediately sent healing chakra to the injured area.

"Little slut, you just killed one of my men. Sakura growled at him as Kenji hid instinctively behind her head, just peeking over her shoulder.

"Your men just killed over a hundred people," she retorted, tensing up to jump. She did jump, down to the ground. She immediately started running at full speed, needing to get away from that place. Unfortunately, he and a few other men caught up with her. He was at least a chuunin and the rest were just normal bandits, but Sakura did not want to kill needlessly in front of Kenji, though it would be easy. She had been a Jounin in Konoha.

"Listen," she started. "I just want to get through here with my son safe. I don't want to kill you, so let me pass, okay?" The men exchanged glances, then started roaring with laughter.

"You kill us? Little lady, I'm surprised you even managed to survive." Kenji whimpered, clutching Sakura's shirt like there was no tomorrow. Sakura narrowed her eyes. She just turned her back and kept running. A week's worth of chakra depletion did not come in handy at times like these. They quickly caught up to her.

Suddenly, Sakura felt an immense pain shooting through her whole body. So...that chuunin was a medic, huh? She was too weak to fight it off and slumped to the ground, still guarding Kenji. She slipped her shuriken and senbon into her hands, eyeing each of the men's pressure points. They laughed and all lifted their weapons to strike. With a hiss, she prepared to kill them all.

Until a long, familiar sword sliced through their throats with practiced ease. Sakura swore as she watched the men take their last, strangled and gurgled breath. Kenji slipped off her back and vomited at the sight and smell of the freshly dead men. As Sakura saw who their "savior" was, her eyes widened in horror. He, too, had dark hair. However, his eyes glowed a sickening red, and his existence in itself posed a threat. Sakura found herself fearing her and her son's life more than ever.

"Sasuke," she squeaked, feeling her lips tremble, and cursed the day she ever decided it was a good idea to leave Konoha.

OOO

Thanks for reading!


	4. I Have Secrets I Must Keep

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

"Sasuke," Sakura squeaked, her voice straining in panic. His red eyes loomed down over her, filling her with the familiar sense of inferiority. He lowered his sword.

"Sakura," he acknowledged. Sasuke's eyes shifted over to the small boy behind Sakura. She instinctively growled at him. He remained blank. "I finally located you," he said blandly. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. Her heart beating fast, she wondered if Sasuke knew that Kenji was his son and was going to take him back to Orochimaru. Would he do that to his own son?

"What do you want?" she spat, covering her boy.

"Hmm. You have a son now. Whose is it?"

"Fucking tell me!" she snarled, smashing her boy against her chest. Kenji gratefully gripped her shirt, eyes wide and fearful.

"You." Sakura's eyes widened, and she knew exactly how he meant it. "Orochimaru is taking you hostage against Konoha. Naruto, the fool, is most likely still in love with you. He would do anything to get his lover back." By now, Sakura felt her body getting weak under Sasuke's gaze. Dammit!

"No," she said. "No."

Eyes narrowing in displeasure, Sasuke's lips turned downward a fraction. "You have no choice. Come, or I kill the boy." Kenji trembled against his mother's side. Sakura froze for a moment. She gritted down her teeth and made the hardest decision of her life.

"Okay."

OOO

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Kenji whispered, clinging to her like the child he was. They looked awful, bloodstained clothes, many cuts and bruises, dirty hair...oh, they looked like a stellar family of two. Sakura looked sympathetically down at the little boy.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sure this son of a bitch will feed us soon." That got her backhanded across the face. She made no sound of pain, the only implication of her being slapped was a red mark forming on her face and an icy glare directed toward her attacker.

"Watch your tongue." And that was all the bastard said. THAT WAS ALL THE FREAKING BASTARD SAID!

"Glad to know you haven't changed," she stated coldly. "You still are a bastard. Chivalry is dead, huh?" Sasuke suddenly stopped in his tracks and started to walk toward Sakura, hands in pockets and eyes a deadly red.

"Listen here, _woman_," he rasped out in a dangerous tone, stressing her insignificance to him on that stupid word. "You mean nothing to me. I thought we had that established."

Sakura snorted defiantly. "Yeah. Next time you say that, maybe you should keep your cock in your pants!" She hissed so only the two of them could hear. At lightning speed, Sasuke's hand clamped itself around her throat, crushing her windpipe.

"Woman," he said again. "The only reason you live is because Orochimaru forbid me from killing you. Annoying idiot," he said calmly, hoping to scare Sakura enough that she would shut up.

A little foot kicked at his shin. "Let go of my mommy!" Kenji roared. Sasuke frowned. Those tiny kicks actually did hurt a bit. Irritated, he brushed the little boy off. Sakura pushed Sasuke's arm off her, not even gasping for breath. Instead, she went straight to her son. "Kenji, don't talk to him!" she warned the little boy. "He's not like normal bullies; if he doesn't like you, he will kill you." _How ironic,_ Sakura thought. The one who gave her son bullies was being one now. Kenji, still hesitant, nodded. He figured that his mother knew more about this than he did, so it was best to listen to her at this moment. Covering her mouth, Sakura coughed out sickening, red liquid. She wiped it on her shirt, hoping to hide it from Kenji. It was a success. She knew at a time like this, it was important to seem strong in front of her son, or else he would break.

She would, too.

OOO

After two days and countless escape attempts, they stumbled upon a motel. Cheap and dirty looking. "Are we staying here for the night?" The stupid asshole was silent. "I'll take that as a yes," she grumbled, taking her son's hand in hers. The move was deceptively innocent.

In reality, he was passing a syringe to her, careful not to inject it into her skin. Sakura took it, and mercilessly, she slammed it into Sasuke's neck. He let out a shaky breath before collapsing onto his knees. Sakura smirked. Damn, did she love sedatives! She neared his ear. "See ya," she purred before scampering off with a very excited Kenji. Picking him up so he was cradled in her arms, Sakura blasted off at full speed, not caring if she was knocking anybody away. She knew if she jumped from the rooftops, he would spot her more easily. Not that it mattered.

Once she reached the border of the little town, he had already caught up. She gasped and prepared to turn back the other way. Too bad it didn't happen. Sasuke swatted Kenji from her arms, who landed with an 'oof,' and slammed her against the wall of a teahouse. She couldn't resist letting out a tiny grunt, her knees wobbling unstably. Bracing one arm on the side of her head, Sasuke caught her chin in an iron grip. The pink-haired woman moaned in pain, forcing herself to keep her eyes open to look straight into the monster's eyes. _Despicable_, she silently seethed. _What did I ever see in him?_

"Bitch!" he spat, his face mere inches away from hers. She glowered at him, a defiant gleam in her eyes. However, her chin was sure to bruise, but it didn't matter. She wasn't trying to impress _him_. "Once Orochimaru's through with you, you'll have me to deal with, and I won't be as nice as him." Sakura thought about biting him, but that would surely turn unfavorable in this situation.

"What could you possibly do to me?" she hissed, struggling against him. Damn it, she hated chakra depletion. "Kill me?" she mocked, throwing her head back to laugh. Sasuke's eyes flitted over to Kenji. She was silent at once, blood draining out of her face.

_Oh, no._

"I will kill him if you don't cooperate. I fucking swear it, Sakura, and you know I won't feel any remorse. So don't push me," he finished with a sneer, releasing her from his death grip. Sakura trembled, but she still talked back.

"Swear to God?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"What God?" he said, stating it as if it weren't a question and as if he were the one who had complete authority and control over her. That was when Sakura knew that she was screwed.

OOO

"Oh, Sasuke. Faster!" Sasuke complied, driving in to her harder than her ever had. The woman beneath him cried out as she found release, causing him to withdraw. She panted in ecstasy, rolling over to face him. "I love it when you come to town," she cooed. "You should come more often."

"Hn," answered the ever stoic boy, dressing himself quickly. The girl pouted, propping herself up on one elbow.

"You know, if you took me with you, I could bear your children for you," she informed him. Sasuke snorted softly.

"You know I just come here for sex," he replied, completely dressed now. The girl frowned.

"Yeah, but-"

"No, buts. Now, I'm busy. So I have to leave." The girl draped blankets around herself and pecked Sasuke on the cheek, wishing him a safe journey. Little did she know was that was the last time she would ever be used by him again. Sasuke hopped into the motel room he rented. He had handcuffed Sakura and the brat to the bed post, knowing that with chakra cuffs, escape would close to impossible. Well, Sakura had angered him once again.

She had taken off with the bed post.

Sasuke growled in anger, using such force in a kick that it completely destroyed the wood working of the bed. That woman! How dare she defy him again even after that threat! He swore that he would do it this time. That brat had to go!

He got on the roof, scouting the city for her. He quickly spotted her, carrying her son like a baby. His eyes narrowed in sadistic pleasure, imagining how she would react when he killed him. He licked his lips once. Maybe then she would submit to him like she should have in the very beginning instead of challenging him. He leapt from building to building, rage bubbling up within him and threatening to burst out of him at any moment now. He landed right in front of them. Sakura gasped in horror, this time freezing in her tracks. Sasuke wasted no time. He seized the boy from her arms and kneed him in the stomach. A strangled grunt came out of the boy's lips. He then whirled around and threw the boy against the wall. A dull thud came before he dropped to the ground. He strode toward Kenji, intending to finish what he started.

That was before Sakura slammed the bed post over his head, exerting so much force that the wood splintered and broke. Sasuke's eyes turned red quickly, and he had a new target. He activated his Chidori and ran toward the girl, striking at her. She swiftly dodged and punched him in the shoulder, causing the male to wince slightly. She then grabbed his shirt and threw him forward, using the Judo throw. However, Sasuke rebounded quickly and flipped her over so he was straddling her, pulling out his sword and directing it toward her throat, only stopping when it was an centimeter away from breaking skin. Sakura struggled for breath, her hands clawing and collecting the dirt.

"Little bitch, I told you not to do that!" he spat, taking an eyeful of the bleeding boy. He was oddly getting to his feet, and it puzzled Sasuke to no end, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. He examined their position and smirked, leaning forward to press his lips near her ear. She froze, and Sasuke felt manly pride well up within him. He knew he had won. She wasn't lustful. No, that wasn't his goal. She was scared beyond her wits, and her body betrayed her. Only moving his mouth a centimeter, he whispered into her ear, "Funny thing is, five years ago WE were in this position. Only under different circumstances." Sakura felt her hands fisting up again but held it back. There was, after all, a sharp blade threatening to drive her through. How dare he be so degrading! She also felts sobs building up in her throat, but she refused to let them out. That would be showing weakness, and that would only give him perverted satisfaction. "One more time," Sasuke warned.

"And he's dead."

OOO

Hello! I have updated at last. xD Thank you for being patient.

Dayuuum, this chapter was shorter than I intended, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. And thanks to all who reviewed/alerted/faved.


	5. You Don't Care and Would Kill Us

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

Sakura was rudely awaked with being pushed off the bed. _Lovely_, she groaned mentally. She looked up, seeing Sasuke preparing himself to leave. She examined his scarred, bare back. She scowled at it. The stupid jerk. ASSHOLE. She lightly shook Kenji's shoulder, drawing out a groan from the child. "What, Mommy, what?"

"It's time to get up, sweetheart."

"I'm hungry, Mommy." Sakura grimaced. Sasuke hadn't fed them in two days, and Sakura refused to give her son soldier pills. She wasn't taking them either. They only gave you a short power boost, and you would crash after that. Sakura glared at Sasuke again. It was either ignored, or he took no notice of it.

"Bastard," she mumbled. She slipped on her shoes and helped Kenji put his on to his tiny feet before letting him hop down onto the floor.

For the past fifteen days with him, they had been walking all day and night. Of course, Sakura could handle it, but her poor baby couldn't.

"Sasuke, could we, like, not walk today?" she asked him politely. "Kenji's getting tired." Sasuke's gaze toward her was black and empty.

"Good. It will help him get strong." Sakura seethed on the inside, remembering that Kenji had been so close to graduating before they left. She was going to make a snide remark about it but kept her mouth shut. The only reaction she'd get off Sasuke was his hand clamping around her neck, anyway, putting him back into control. She pursed her lips before asking him another thing nicely.

"Then could we eat? I know starvation is to help him "get strong," but only you and I are used to this, and that's only because I am an ANBU. The poor kid's not even a Genin yet. Let him eat."

Sasuke did not look back to her. "I will consider it." Sakura turned red with anger, gripping her jacket with an intensity that only threatened to rip it.

They walked and walked, the time seeming to pass by achingly slowly whilst the sun blazed down upon them. Sakura sighed. Her son was sure to get sunburned with that pale complexion of his. Sakura evilly smiled at the thought. The one he had inherited that trait from was sure to get burned too...

The sky suddenly turned gray, the brooding clouds stewing up in fury. Sasuke stared up. "Rain! It's going to rain!" Kenji cried out, covering his head. Sasuke huffed in annoyance.

"The boy is loud. A learned habit, I suppose," he commented, avoiding meeting Sakura's eyes as to prove a point. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him dangerously. _I swear when we're alone, I'm gonna-_

"Look, Mommy, look! There's a big snake there! A big snake!"

"A snake?" she shrieked.

At record speed, Sasuke unsheathed his sword and drove it through the snakes head, effectively killing it. "Why'd you do that, mean man? Why'd you do it, huh?" Kenji roared. "It never hurt anybody. It didn't!"

Sasuke just shook his head. _That stupid, fucking Orochimaru. Spying on me again. This would be so much easier if he would just leave me alone. _

The rain started to pouring down. Sakura threw her jacket over her son's head, covering him from the disastrous little droplets. "Thank you, Mommy," he said sweetly. Sakura smiled.

"No problem, baby." Suddenly, Kenji's face turned sharp.

"Aren't you going to give Mommy anything to cover herself with, Mr. Uchiha?" he yelled, as Sasuke was quite a ways from them. Sasuke looked back to the boy for a moment, finding the comment worth shooting him a look. He went back to ignoring them with a grunt. Sakura just rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about him, Kenji. Sasuke has never been one to be gentlemanly," she said, suppressing the want to input some sarcasm. The rain continued to fall until they reached a town, the lighted lanterns creating a beautiful contrast with the dark skies and the rain. The town itself was structured as those at the continent across the seas. They used all wood in their buildings, and the roofs curved out nicely, a perfect middle ground for Japanese and Chinese structure.

"That's gorgeous," Sakura breathed. Sasuke glanced back once, seeing identical expressions on mother and child, blushes lightly dusting their cheeks. He snorted softly in amusement. _Finally,_ Sasuke thought tiredly. _It took forever to get here. _

Wordlessly, Sasuke walked into a bar. Sakura rolled her eyes again but followed him anyway. Maybe Kenji would finally get something to eat.

Instead, Sasuke went to greet a white-haired woman. Sakura froze. That woman was- She recognized her. She knew her!

By her feet was the ugliest dog Sakura had ever seen. On the other side of her, there was the scariest dog Sakura had ever seen. Sakura grimaced. _Interesting choice in pets. _

Sasuke approached the woman known as the Mizukage. "Torino," he greeted. The woman opened her piercing, red eyes and shot a glare to him.

"You!" she snarled. "I told you to leave me alone, little fucker!" she slammed her glass down and turned to face him. Her wolf-dog stood up and growled at him as the ugly one just let out a weak 'woof.'

"Bitch, Orochimaru wants to make an alliance with Mist," he stated monotonously, too tired of saying this so many times. "He insists."

"Tell him he can go fuck his little boy toy and die. I'm staying neutral." Her eyes shifted over to Sakura and Kenji. "Haruno Sakura," she stated, eyes narrowing slyly.

"Hn," her replied. Torino stood up while Sasuke eyed her critically. Once he realized where she was going, he grabbed for his blade but held back, wanting to see how it played out first. After all, if he killed her here, it would be troublesome. He'd probably have to kill everyone else here for witnessing the murder. Her two dogs trailed behind her protectively, the wolf-dog snorting at the malicious Uchiha.

The woman sat down by Kenji. Kenji just stared at the white-haired woman. He perked up.

"Hi! I'm Kenji!" The lady smiled.

"I'm Momochi Torino," she informed him, taking his little hand and shaking it.

"It's my first time meeting an albino!" Sakura smacked her forehead. That was so...rude!

"Kenji," she warned. Torino simply had a blank look on her face when he said it. Then she burst out laughing.

"Man, that's original!" she giggled. She leaned over to Sakura. She extended a hand which Sakura wearily took her. What took her off guard was the manicured tapping of Morse code on her palm.

"Sakura, I'm really sorry, babe! I can't help you right now, but I'm in the middle of making a treaty with Leaf, and I can't tell the Uchiha, or Orochimaru'll be after me. But I just handed your son- was it Congee?- a scroll. Just smear blood onto it, and it'll summon me, no matter what I'm doing."

"Thanks," Sakura replied, tapping back. "I'll only use it if absolutely necessary."

That whole process had taken place in less than five seconds as the two women verbally exchanged pleasantries.

"Hello," Torino greeted. "I am the Mizukage, and you are?"

"I am Haruno Sakura. It is an honor to meet you," Sakura said, feigning ignorance.

Truth be told, this woman had been her ANBU captain until two years ago when she was called away for some unknown deed. So this had been it. Mizukage, huh...

They immersed themselves in small chat while Kenji petted the woman's dogs. Sasuke sighed. All women were like this: useless. And the child: useless. With a mother like that, he would probably never grow to be strong. However, he petted the wolf-dog without fear.

His father must have been remarkably stupid.

OOO

Almost all alone in the pub now, Sasuke looked outside. It was still raining. Oh, well. The weaklings would have to deal with it. He marched over to Sakura and tugged on her arm, forcing her to stand up halfway. "What?" she snapped weakly.

"We have to move, woman. Oto will not come to us," he ordered. Sakura glared at him.

"I'm here against my will, remember? And I swear, if we don't get anything to eat soon, Kenji and I will die before we even reach that damned place!" she spat, her mouth too dry to actually produce any liquid.

"You will not die," he commanded.

Sakura rolled her eyes defiantly. "You can't just command people not to die. It doesn't work that way, Sasuke. Anyway, what's so important that you have to get back there so quickly?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Orochimaru is eager to use you as the key to start a war with Konoha." Sakura blanched in fear. "If he finds the Uchiha heir my brother has spawned unto this world as well, he will possess the child's body, seeing as I am too valuable to the country right now. If the rumors are false, then he will be using you to carry my bloodline. Then he will proceed to destroy Konoha." Sakura started trembling. No! She would not let that snake take over Kenji's body. She would DIE before that happened. She glared icily at the Uchiha.

"Just let us stay somewhere until the rain lets up. Please," she begged.

This was the last time, and she had to make sure that she succeeded.

OOO

Sasuke was awoken by sudden thunder.

The electrifying bolts lit up the sky, and Sasuke admired their beauty and deadly power. He then shifted his gaze to Sakura and the boy. Watching the rise and fall of her back, he realized that it was too contrived to be real sleeping. Or maybe she was just having a hard time sleeping. He stood up from his bed and walked stealthily over to her, peering over her shoulder. Her eyes were peacefully closed and her mouth, open, had drool oozing out of it. Sasuke decided it was real.

Suddenly, bright, emerald eyes snapped open.

Thrusting her elbow back, Sakura viciously grabbed Sasuke's collar and drove her fist into his face and foot into his stomach. When she heard the cracking of bone, she quickly dove for her sleeping son and jumped out the window without their belongings. Hidden in her bra was the Mizukage's scroll. She would use it if need be.

Sasuke assessed the damages on his body. He had four broken ribs, and an area on his face was sure to bruise by the morning. His eyes flashed red, and he darted out the window, landing soundlessly. The damn, heavy rain had washed away Sakura's footprints! He growled and stomped his foot. He then resorted to jumping on rooftops to spot the woman. He saw nothing for a full thirty seconds due to the rain, but then a glimpse of pink locks caught his eye. Sasuke's lips turned downward.

No more games.

Sakura panted heavily. Five days of no eating had really caught up to her, but taking a soldier pill was not an option. Without proper medical treatment, she would die, and she couldn't afford that. Not now.

Sparing a glance at the sleeping Kenji, she thanked the Lord that he could sleep through all this.

Suddenly, a muscular arm lashed out her, hitting her square in the face. Sakura was thrown backwards and protected Kenji from getting hit by anything. The kid was still in slumber. Sakura, though in pain, was grateful for that. She stood up hastily and drew a kunai from her weapon's pouch. Sasuke, in turn, brought out his blade, glistening from water. He charged at her with precise moves, and she ducked her head down, slashing at his dominant arm. She didn't miss, and Sasuke hissed in pain. He brought his arm down and bonked her on the head, but Sakura wasted no time in bringing her leg in for a kick to the groin.

Judging from the expression on his face, that really hurt. He retaliated, slamming her against the exterior of a building, causing water droplets to fly everywhere whilst pointing his sword at her stomach.

Sasuke snarled at her menacingly, but something shook him. Her whole form was shaking. He pulled her head up from her pink locks and saw that those drop of liquid were tears.

Sakura had had enough.

Her chest was wracking with sobs and sniffles. Sasuke lowered his sword unconsciously. In the whole month that he had been keeping her under his abusive wing, this was the first time she had cried. And these were tears well deserved. They weren't there to prevent him from going to Oto, they weren't there because he had called her a name, they weren't there because he was being attacked by an enemy, and they weren't there because she loved and worried for him.

These were tears of pent up exhaustion and failure. Sasuke was at a loss for what to do.

"You fucking BASTARD!" she screamed, hitting him on the chest feebly. "You-y-y-you jerk!" She started wailing like a child now, sliding down the wall and covering her face with her hands. Eventually, she snapped out of it. She crawled over to Kenji and tried to shake him awake. He wouldn't budge. Frantically, she tried again. "No, not again!" she sobbed, putting two fingers on his neck before pushing on his chest in a steady rhythm. "Please, no!"

_No pulse._

OOO

Thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, or faved! If you would do so again, I'll update. Not that I wouldn't if you didn't...

I have updated quickly.

Praise me. xD


	6. But You Just Surpise Me at Every Corner

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

"No...no...no!" She kept pumping, trying to get her son's heart starting again. It would flutter for a bit, but it would die down again. She then realized that she'd have to use chakra to jump start it. Chakra she did not have. She reached for a soldier pill.

The problem with soldier pills was that they gave you fake energy, energy that made you go on and on for hours while feeling great. Then you'd have to go into the hospital, having someone feed you through an IV. If you didn't have that treatment, unless you were extremely lucky, the inevitable result would be death. Sakura knew that Sasuke would not provide this for her.

She chewed the pill down anyway. Even if she died, it would be worth it. If Kenji could live to see just another day, she didn't care if she laid her life down for her child.

Sasuke just looked on, seemingly impassively. However, his mind was swirling with conflicted thoughts. Why would a woman care so much for a child? It was just a child; they could always have another as long as they were still fertile. Even if they weren't, they could always adopt. Shinobi always left behind grand amounts of children through their untimely deaths. There were plenty to pick and choose from. However, as Sasuke looked at Sakura's torn face, he became confused. Why was a child, just one son, so important to her? He almost snarled at the weakness behind the act. Only the strong were meant to survive; the weak were garbage.

Sakura sweated despite the cold rain. By now, she was breathing heavily, and the task was growing wearisome. She shook her head. No matter how tired she was, she couldn't give up. Then she felt them.

Strong, steady heartbeats.

Sakura almost choked on her joyful tears. Her son was alive. Kenji was alive!

The boy let out a tiny moan as his head lolled around aimlessly before awakening. "Mama-" he croaked, clutching his chest. "It- it happened again. My chest- my chest..." Sakura nodded, cupping her son's cheek and tears running down her face. The action vaguely reminded Sasuke of how Sakura cried when he had almost died on Tazuna's bridge. He brushed the thought away.

Sakura watched as her son's face started to become blurrier and blurrier. The next thing she knew, she was out cold in the rain.

OOO

Sakura's eyelids slowly fluttered open. She groaned as she propped herself up onto one elbow, the world becoming clearer every second. The first thing she registered was white. Lots and lots of white. The second thing she noticed was the strong smell of antiseptic.

A hospital. She was in a hospital.

Then Sakura panicked. With maximum effort, she sat up and looked around the room. When she saw a tousled mess of dark red hair, she sighed in relief and allowed herself to slouch. The nurse came in and gasped, running to Sakura's side. "Oh my Lord!" she breathed. "You're awake. You've been out for a week, Mrs. Kawasaki!"

Mrs. Kawasa- what?

The nurse beamed. "Your husband brought you in here. Said you just passed out and wouldn't wake up." She pointed to Kenji. "He informed me of your son's sudden cardiac arrest. We didn't find anything wrong so we think it was just a false alarm. He probably just passed out." Sakura almost felt like scowling. She knew the nurse meant well, but Sakura was a damn medic! She knew cardiac arrest when she saw it. No one was ever able to find anything wrong with Kenji's heart, and with the looks of it, this was a civilian hospital. They wouldn't know about all the genetic diseases that the Uchiha line carried. She looked over to her son and smiled sadly. At least he was all right for now.

The nurse giggled. "Mrs. Kawasaki, your husband is quite handsome. He even bought you flowers!" Sakura could only assume she meant Sasuke. But flowers? Sure enough, there were some fresh, purple hyacinths. Sakura snorted. Sasuke probably didn't even know what those meant. Due to being Ino's best friend, she was well versed in flower language.

I'm sorry, they meant.

_Pfft. Yeah, right. _

OOO

"Where is Itachi?" Sasuke snarled. Haruna blinked calmly at him, though there was a sword pointing at her neck.

"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "I was sleeping before you woke me up. And as for that, I don't know where the baby is either, so stop asking me." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her impatiently.

"I don't have a lot of time."

"Neither do I. Get out of here, kid." Sasuke, frustrated to no end, plunged his sword forward, intending to end Haruna's life. There was a flash of red. Sasuke growled.

She had gotten away.

He slammed his sword down into the bed, stuffing flying everywhere. He then sheathed it and went to see if Sakura was awake.

OOO

Sakura officially hated hospitals. The nurses all babied her, wouldn't let her check on her son. She almost threatened to kill one of them. She wished she had.

Finally, Kenji stirred. He rubbed his eye sleepily with a yawn. "Mommy!" he cried out cheerfully, bombarding towards her bed. He hopped up on it and started to cuddle with her. "Mommy, the nurses are all so different here! I don't like it. They all try to make me do things! I'm already better anyway so why do they just keep giving me examinations? I don't like them! I don't!" Sakura laughed.

She whispered, "Truth be told, I don't either!" The mother and son giggled together silently.

That is, until Sasuke walked through the door.

Sakura and Kenji fell silent. A whirl of emotion was going through Sakura's head. He was the one who brought them here. She was certain that he'd leave her to die, but then again, that would interfere with Orochimaru's plans. But still...

"Thank you-" she blurted out suddenly. Sasuke raised a brow, and Sakura fought the urge to spit. "For bringing us here," she clarified. "Thank you. It was..."

"Nice!" Kenji finished. "Nice!"

Sasuke was silent. He was a little shocked, to say the least. To think that Sakura would pull back her pride and express her gratitude verbally.

"..." He couldn't say it! It just wasn't natural for him, but by the looks of her face, she wasn't expecting it. Maybe, he'd surprise her just this once.

"You are...welcome."

OOO

Sakura was surprised when Sasuke insisted on taking Kenji out to train. Of course, this meant she couldn't escape, but the Sasuke she knew would never do something...this...this...

Well, helpful.

It was very unlike Sasuke to do something like this. Very unlike him, indeed. He usually had his own interests at heart. Maybe he still did, but Sakura honestly didn't care right now. Poor Kenji needed the help because Sakura hadn't had any time to assist him with his shinobi skills. However, he was a really fast runner now...

She just lied in bed in the hotel room and sipped her tea.

OOO

Sasuke led Kenji to a fairly quiet lake. Kenji just looked at him strangely.

"You will learn the Great Fireball Jutsu." Kenji scoffed.

"Why's it so great?" he asked. Sasuke just ignored that. He demonstrated. A giant ball of flame hung over the lake, its embers blindingly bright.

Kenji's mouth hung open in awe.

"That's so cool!" he yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. "I want to make one! I do!" Sasuke smirked.

"Very well. Let's start."

Three hours later, Kenji had managed to do it, though it had been tedious, and Sasuke allowed the boy a break, allowing him to drink from his canteen. He chugged it down until almost none was left. He then handed it back to Sasuke, who sighed. He shook the remaining drops into his throat, then closed it. Then the boy started talking.

"Do you like Mom?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Why do you ask that, brat?" he asked calmly.

Kenji shrugged. "I dunno... but I guess it doesn't matter since Mom hates you." Sasuke sighed. He was beginning to think this kid was Naruto's. They both talked needlessly. "Well, not really, but she gets annoyed when you hit her, and you stare at her butt all the time." Sasuke fought back a blush. He did not! "It's gross. That's where she poops!" Sasuke stood up.

"We're done here."

OOO

Sakura gasped. "What happened?" she demanded of Sasuke. "He's got burns all around his mouth!"

"Mommy, Mommy, listen! Mr. Uchiha taught me how to the Grape-"

"Great-"

"Great Fireball Jutsu!" Kenji ended. "Want me to show you?" He started performing the seals, and Sakura hastily stopped him.

"Uh, that's not necessary. I believe you, Kenji." She and Sasuke exchanged glances.

Then she froze. She and Sasuke had exchanged glances! That was kind of... intimate. Just a little. At least, for Sasuke it was. She felt her cheeks warming in embarrassment.

Stupid men.

OOO

"I hate this town!" Kenji complained. "All the people here are smelly."

"Kenji!" Sakura hissed. "They might hear you."

"Good! Maybe they'll take a bath then." Sakura rolled her eyes while Sasuke snorted.

"The thing is that it's rude. You wouldn't like it if someone told you that you were ugly, would you?" Sakura chastised.

"But I'm not!" Sakura sighed in defeat. Right now, it was useless arguing with him. He had felt empowered since he had learned the Fireball Jutsu two weeks ago. He now felt like he was on top of the world. Sakura scowled. It was all Sasuke's fault! He had taught the boy to be cocky, just like him! Or maybe it was just hereditary...

But Sakura didn't get a good feeling from this town either. True, the people were smelly, but that wasn't what bothered her the most. A most uncomfortable feeling engulfed this town. There were shady people all around, and all of them were giving their little group the eye. She also had the sensation of being watched.

As much as she hated to admit it, she felt safer with Sasuke around.

Sure, she had been in ANBU for two years, but she was a bit out of practice, and she hated killing in front of her son. Sasuke had no qualms about that, even though it disgusted her a bit. Anyway, it wasn't like Kenji could remain innocent forever. She would jump with joy if he could. But innocence was short-lived. In this world, it was amazing how he could keep it for so long.

Suddenly, a hand placed itself firmly on her hip. Sakura frowned, raised her eyebrows, and looked at Sasuke.

"We are being followed," he explained.

_Yeah, right. You know you just wanted to touch my ass. _

"Okay," she accepted, allowing him to rest his hand there for the time being. Kenji frowned.

"I told you he always looks at your butt," he mouthed. Sakura swatted his head playfully, ruffling the untidy hairs on his head a bit. Her lips then turned downward. His hair was starting to look like a duck's ass. Sasuke's hair looked like a duck's ass. He needed a haircut. Pronto.

OOO

Sasuke sighed through his nose. Women. All around him. Following him. They were trying to be discreet, following from far behind, but they were failing. He draped his hand around Sakura's hip. When she gave him a funny look, he justified, "We are being followed."

"Okay," she said simply. Sasuke almost let out a noise of relief. He was so glad Sakura was here, someone to play the role of "his woman." But it wasn't like her hip under his hand didn't feel good. He briefly entertained the idea of her bare hip under his hand. Thinking like that was going into dangerous territory, so Sasuke shook the thought away. However, his groin already felt a little tingle, and he mentally groaned. He decided to lead the mother and son into a restaurant so they could sit down.

Hopefully, they would not notice his little slip up.

Kenji was ecstatic. "Mr. Uchiha," he yelled. "Can I have anything I want?"

"Hn."

"Did you hear that, Mom? That was a "yes!" Man, I'm good at tranzalating Mr. Uchiha talk!" Sakura laughed.

"Translating," Sakura and Sasuke corrected. The two shot glares at each other.

"Trans-lat-ing," Kenji repeated slowly. Sakura smiled.

"Better." Suddenly, a feeling nudged at the back of her head. Some chakra had just flared up and died out really quickly. She turned to Sasuke. "Did you feel that?"

"Hn," he agreed, nodding. "He's been following us since the last town back. He's extremely good at suppressing his chakra." Sakura nodded. That was what that nagging feeling had been.

"Should we run?" Kenji whispered.

"No," Sasuke stated flatly, interlacing his fingers. "I'll get him out of our hair by tonight."

Kenji smiled really widely.

Now, Sasuke wasn't one to be curious as to who the unknown fathers of children were, but he was... Well, in this case he was dying to know. The face looked familiar, Kenji's, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. The hair was odd looking, though. He knew Sakura wouldn't tell him if he asked, and he knew Kenji didn't know.

Was Sakura ashamed of it?

That narrowed options down a bit. The person could be a criminal, or just someone embarrassing.

Rock Lee?

No, he was pretty sure the kid would have overly bushy eyebrows.

Naruto? -No. Though he acted like Naruto, there were no similarities in appearance.

Maybe it was someone from a criminal organization.

Sasuke sighed. This was no time to think about things like that. He was going to formulate a plan to take out whoever was following them, or at least get him to leave Sakura and Kenji alone. Sasuke always realized that the presence would grow stronger by Sakura if he was about to leave them.

There it was. The plan. Sasuke would leave them while they were sleeping. Or pretend to. He'd mask his chakra and hide under the bed. Once the stalker came, he would rush out from the bottom of the bed and scare him off, perhaps cast a genjutsu on him.

While Sasuke was formulating the finishing touches to his plan, a cute waitress came to take their order. "Discreetly," she leaned her posterior on his shoulder while taking little Kenji's order. He chatted with her pleasantly, and even though she was politely smiling, anyone could tell that she wasn't really interested in him.

Sakura had finally had enough. The woman had started softly-and actually quite discreetly this time- grinding against Sasuke's shoulder, and it was a disgusting sight. It wasn't something that Kenji should be witnessing. She put on a fake, soft smile and reached over to take Sasuke's hand. "Honey," she said in a overly sweet voice. "Aren't you going to order?" Sasuke smirked.

"Of course, _darling,_ but I think I'd like to eat you instead." The waitress blanched. She removed her bottom from its previous post, stood up straight, and held her pen at attention. Sakura and Sasuke quickly ordered their food, and she disappeared from sight.

Sasuke thanked Sakura with a nod. She smiled at him.

"No problem. Honey," she teased.

Kenji just looked really confused.

OOO

After hearing something shift, Sakura awoke quickly. It was just Sasuke.

"Where are you going?" she asked skeptically. He shook his head.

"Nowhere. Just sleep." Sakura, although nervous, complied. She laid her head down, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep eventually.

Sasuke had found out that his earlier plan had been for nothing. The man was down in the bar, drinking with a friend.

As he strolled down to the bar, he vaguely remembered that Sakura would have tried to escape in different circumstances. He smiled haughtily. She craved his protection too much to even think of it now. His smile fell. Why?

Sasuke realized that he wanted to protect her.

He looked up. He had reached his destination. Entering the bar, he saw the stalker. The stalker was over his age, maybe ten years older than he. He was tall, unnaturally tall. His most prominent feature as his hairiness. Sasuke continued walking on, not really caring about the person's physical features. He just wanted him gone because he was annoying.

The stalker noticed him and waved, giving him a toothy smile. Sasuke obviously did not reciprocate the action. "Yo!" the stalker drawled. "I was wondering when you would come over and visit! Finally noticed, eh?" Sasuke just scowled while the ruffian laughed. He gulped down his drink and smacked his lips together. "Master, keep 'em coming!" he roared to the bartender goodheartedly. "I'm Rudy Fallenhaust, the bounty hunter. You Sasuke Uchiha? Nice to meet you!" Sasuke noticed his odd accent, hairiness, and placement of surnames. He deduced that this "Rudy" was a foreigner.

He cut straight to the chase. "Why have you been following us?" he demanded to know. Rudy scratched the back of his head.

"Gee, you didn't know? That kid you're travelling with has a big amount of money over his head! Like, HUGE!" He emphasized this by motioning his arms into large circles. Sasuke frowned. Kenji was up on bounty lists? That was ridiculous. What could that six year old boy do? He wasn't particularly dangerous. Rudy shrugged. Sasuke had not been aware he had said all those aloud. "No one knows. But it's one of the highest."

Sasuke nodded. "How much will it take for you to leave him alone?" he asked, reaching for his wallet. Rudy gave him a funny look. Then he burst into tears from laughing so hard.

"Kid, nothing you can pay!" Sasuke frowned. "But hey, you look like a lightweight." Sasuke's frown deepened. He knew where this was going. Rudy pointed a chubby finger at Sasuke's face. "I challenge you to a drinking contest!"

"What?" Sasuke spat. Rudy grinned.

"We'll see who can take more Vodka shots. If I win, I get a shot at taking the kid. If you win, I'll leave. Simple as that. Entertaining, too! So what's it going to be, boy?" he barked. Sasuke actually didn't know if he was a lightweight or not. He had never partaken in the drinking of disgusting alcoholic beverages, but he knew there was no choice if he didn't want to involve unnecessary bloodshed.

"Fine," he said calmly. "I accept your challenge."

Rudy grinned from ear to ear. "First to pass out loses!"

OOO

Okay, so maybe Sakura hadn't gone back to sleep. She was up pacing, waiting for Sasuke to arrive. Had something happened? She should've gone to check. Normally, Sasuke could hold his own entirely, but what if this opponent had just been too strong? Was he hurt? Oh, she should've insisted that he tell her where he was going.

Finally, the lock to the door clicked. Sakura jolted up. Sasuke was back! She planned to confront him about it.

That was until he came into the room sluggishly. Sakura pinched her nose. _Damn, how much did he drink?_

"Sasuke, are you okay?" Sakura asked tentatively, grabbing both his shoulders firmly.

"I-I feel weird," he stammered. Sakura sat him down on the bed.

"You're drunk," she stated flatly.

"But I won," he informed her.

Giving him an odd look, she inquired, "Won what?"

"I don't remember," he replied. "I have to pee."

Sakura sighed as Sasuke went on his way to the bathroom. How could he get so drunk? How many shots of vodka did he have, ten?

Sakura heard the rush of water as Sasuke flushed the toilet and washed his hands. Her lips turned upward. He was going to have the worst hangover of his life when he woke up. He opened the door and sat on the bed next to her silently. Sakura just studied his face. Cheeks flushed and eyes droopy, Sasuke looked quite childlike.

The next thing she knew, he had attached his lips to her neck. They sucked insistently as Sakura tried to get him off of her without hurting him. He was too strong, though. He pinned her down, and his hands started to roam all over her body. When he passed over one sensitive spot, she winced visibly. "What are you doing?" she squeaked, feebly trying to push him off. However, that only led to him straddling her outer thighs so she would not escape.

"I don't know," he answered, his hand darting under her shirt. Sakura bit her lip, not wanting him to receive vocal encouragement. It was hard, though. Little shivers were going down her spine, and little goose bumps appeared all over her body.

That ended when he mashed their hips together. A loud moan escaped Sakura's throat, and she grabbed on to Sasuke's shirt, needing it to end. Kenji had stirred slightly but had fallen back asleep quickly. "Listen, Sasuke," she hissed. "You're drunk. You don't really want to do this, AND Kenji is right there! Do you want him to see?" She chomped down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood. Oh, God. The way he was rolling his hips...

"Let him see..." Sasuke said, rubbing her naked hip underneath her shirt. He was right before; he knew it would feel fantastic.

Sakura had had enough. Bracing her legs, she drew back her fist and plunged it forward, having it connect with his jaw. Due to his inebriation, he was out cold. Sakura tried to calm her racing heart while hauling him to bed. "Be grateful for this, you little ass," she said, twisting his ear.

OOO

Whoo! Nine pages! You'd better be grateful. xD I expect many reviews! But good and meaty reviews. :)

If you have questions about something and are confused, please pop it into a PM or review so I can answer it for you.

I will update in a little less than a week.

P.S. Thank you for all the reviews last time! Wow! 30!


	7. However, I Know What's Wrong Now

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

*I have posted this chapter again because I updated late last night, and you probably did not get a chance to see the message before others started flooding your inbox. I apologize. For those who have already read it, it contains the same content so you do not need to read it again.*

OOO

Naruto mulled over his paperwork, feeling his eyelids droop. Ah, such was the life of Hokage. Boring, endless, needless paperwork. With heavy eyes, Naruto examined the hands on the clock.

It was almost midnight. He had been up for over twenty-four hours. "Terrific," he muttered to himself. "I could DIE of happiness." He continued to work for twenty more minutes before he heard the door click.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, the only other person left in the Hokage Tower. "Are you still here?" Naruto looked up wearily at her.

"Hinat. Whayoudohar?" He was so tired that most of the words that came out of his mouth were unintelligible. Even he wasn't sure what he was saying.

Her eyes immediately flickered with worry. "A...are you all right?" she inquired, rushing to him and examining his state. She softened. "You should get some sleep, Naruto-kun. This isn't g-good for your health." He nodded halfheartedly, still wanting to finish the paperwork so he could work on meaningful things the next day. Hinata pulled up a chair. He looked at her oddly.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll help," she stated gently. However, her eyes gave away that she would not take "no" for an answer. The blond Hokage smiled.

"Fanks, Hinat."

OOO

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he had dreamed of his family. In fact, it had probably been five years since he had even thought of thinking of them, honoring their memory.

* * *

_"Sasuke!" a woman's voice called out cheerfully. "It's time to wake up! Oh, and don't forget to tell your brother that breakfast is ready."_

_Sasuke groaned as he shifted in his blankets. They were tossed about due to his restless sleeping. He rubbed his eyes, hard. He finally felt somewhat awake. He hopped down from bed and opened the door silently, wincing as sunshine decided to inflict itself upon his eyes. He squinted the whole way down the hallway to the yard. Opening the tatami doors, his face brightened. _

_Itachi was meditating. _

_Making sure to keep his energy calm and noises low, Sasuke crouched down to stare at his brother. Every muscle was hardened with work, every brain cell was functioning to its full capacity. _

_Itachi was the epitome of perfection. _

_And Sasuke wanted to be just like him._

* * *

_Uchiha Mikoto smiled at her son as she bandaged his rolled ankle. Elevating it on a pillow, she placed some ice on the swollen limb. Sasuke gasped. _

_"Mom, that's really cold!" he said, unconsciously shivering. His mother chuckled. _

_"That's the whole point, Sasuke." She poked his little nose, her whole form betraying tenderness._

* * *

Sasuke had forgotten all about them. Rather, he forced himself to forget about them. He couldn't help but feel that they hadn't fought hard enough for their lives. Now, Sasuke couldn't help but feel that his family had willingly abandoned him.

He wasn't young and foolish, seeking revenge just for his family. Sasuke knew that this was the next step to ultimate power, defeating Itachi. Itachi, the strongest. Itachi, the murderer.

Itachi, his brother.

OOO

Naruto clasped his hands together. In front of him were the batty, old coots.

More commonly called the council.

_Meh_, he sneered. _Same, diff._ They were so old now, but none of them were willing to relinquish their positions of power. The greedy bastards.

Naruto sat up straight, intending to intimidate the elderly with his strained posture. Feh. Most of them were hunched and ready to keel over and die anyway. He couldn't wait.

However, even with Shikamaru at his side, he felt nervous. Twitchy. He could feel his bottom eyelid going up and down, up and down. Constantly. But for Sakura's sake, he had to do this. If all else failed, he would open a new council and shut the old one down, claiming that all of them were stricken by insanity (which would be mostly true). Tapping his foot impatiently at the old lady attempting to sit down without assistance, he finally decided that assistance was not an option anymore. The problem was quickly resolved.

Clearing his throat, Naruto stood before the council. "I would like to send a retrieval team for Haruno Sakura," he said with authority. The woman shook her head.

"What is the reason for this?" she inquired.

Naruto held Sakura's last letter to him. "She has not given me a report in two months. Sakura does not get careless with things like this." He chuckled to himself. _In fact, I'm sure that Sakura would even TELL me that she was becoming a missing nin if it could happen. _

Danzo murmured, "Hokage-sama, the woman is not worth it. What could she do to benefit or harm this village?"

"She has Haruno Kenji with her," Shikamaru interjected. "Many are after the Uchiha bloodline right now, especially since there is a price on Kenji's head. Also, we have gotten reports from the Mizukage that she saw Sakura and that she was possible in danger. There's that." He snorted almost condescendingly.

The council dismissed Naruto and Shikamaru so they could discuss and come to a decision. Thirteen minutes later, they called for the two again.

"Very well," the bearded man said. "You will send a four man team out to either retrieve Haruno Sakura or, at the very least, relocate her to a safer location. Adjourned."

Naruto let out a victory whoop.

OOO

Sakura sat cross-legged on her bed.

Stockholm's.

Sakura had been sitting up all night, sure her brain would burst from all the incoming thoughts. She knew that Sasuke had been somewhat kind for the past few weeks, but still, it was no excuse for her to start feeling attached again. His behavior in the beginning had been excusable. Now, it was dangerous to try to escape again. If it failed, Sasuke might decide to have a change of heart and kill Kenji. So it needed to be thought out strategically. It had to be in a situation where Sasuke could not lash out in any way, and it had to be detailed to the planned to the very last moment. Sakura felt the tiny scroll she had hidden inside her bra padding (hey, push-ups had more than one use now.) and grimaced. The Mizukage had actually given her a reverse summoning scroll; meaning that if she smeared her blood on it, she and Kenji would be taken some place who knows where, but it was the only shot she had left now.

She turned her gaze to Sasuke's face.

God, she forgot how much she hated him.

He was intelligent, unfortunately. He had probably planned for her to develop Stockholm's, regaining her old feelings for him. Stupid lust. Stupid, beautiful face.

Why couldn't an elephant just stomp on it and disfigure it for the rest of his life?

OOO

I am so, so sorry! Life caught up to me these past weeks, and I've been having many troubles with my friends. :( But I am extremely sorry that I did not update as soon as I said I would. Thank you ALL reviewing~! I got over 60! Good work, guys! Keep it up.

*For all intents and purposes, Danzo and others are alive in this fic.

Anyways, some of you had some questions, and I'm going to answer them.

1. Isn't the Great Fireball Jutsu a kekkei genkai exclusive to the Uchiha clan?

_**No, anyone can do it. The Uchiha just have an affinity for fire.**_

2. Why can't Sasuke tell that Kenji is his son?

**_Kenji only looks a little like Sasuke right now. He looks mostly like Sakura._**

3. Is Sasuke aware of the truth of the Uchiha Massacre?

_**No, he is not.**_

4. Why is Sasuke so warped and mean?

_**He's a bit out of touch with his feelings. Maybe a bit of a sociopath. **_

5. Could you describe Kenji's phyical features a bit more?

**_He has dark red hair (that might look even a bit maroonish), and a cute button nose. His eyes are big and black, and his hair is starting to stick up a little, creating a messy look. For y'all's information, he's around six/seven years old, so he's not very tall._**

6. What is Stockholm's?

_**Stockholm's Syndrome is a psychological condition in which a hostage starts to feel compassion or love for his/her captor. The hostage often confuses the absence of direct violence as a form of kindness from the captor. **_

7. When are you going to update?

**_I do not know. _**

**_A'ight. Peace._**


	8. But No Hope Remains

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

Sasuke awoke.

Then he vomited. Right there on the floor.

As a headache seized him, he tried to remember the events of the previous night. There was Rudy Fallenhaust, a drinking contest... after that, he could remember no more. His dreams had pushed all those memories back.

_Oh, God. Now I remember why I don't drink. _Sasuke grimaced as the bitter aftertaste of puke warmed his mouth. His tongue felt useless, though he did not know what he would be using his tongue for. Certainly not for talking.

Something behind him jumped up, and soon, he heard the irritating voice of the little boy.

"Ew! Mommy, mommy, look! Mr. Uchiha threw up! EW!"

Sakura sighed. She knew this would happen. Sasuke was squinting at the dim light in the room, and Sakura walked over to him. "You're nauseous and have a headache." It wasn't a question. "Congratulations, Sasuke. You have a hangover."

The Uchiha groaned in reply.

Sakura shook her head at him. "Stay here with Mr. Uchiha, Kenji."

"Why, Mommy, why?" Kenji asked, cocking his head to the side.

_Because I'm currently formulating a plan for us to escape through this town successfully, _Sakura thought bitterly. "I'm going to get some painkillers for Mr. Uchiha. Goodness knows he needs them." Kenji pouted.

"I want to come, too!" he whined. Sakura denied his request.

"Sweetheart, stay here and clean up that...mess," she finished, eyeing the chunks of partially digested food. Kenji's nose crinkled.

"But...but...but Mommy!" he protested, but Sakura would have none of it.

"No buts, Kenji. Now give me a kiss." A grumpy Kenji bounced off his bed and quickly pecked Sakura on the cheek. Smiling, Sakura placed a tender kiss on his hairline, pushing his bangs back.

"Be careful, Mommy," Kenji warned. "There are bad men out there." Sakura laughed.

"Who would hurt little, old me?" she teased, ruffling his dark locks. "I'll be back soon, baby. Take care of Mr. Uchiha."

"Okay," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Sakura was smiling all the while she was making her way out of the room, but once she was out, she couldn't help but begin to worry. Would Kenji and Sasuke really be okay by themselves? Sure, Kenji was around Genin level, but he would be no match for some Jounin that might decide to...kill him. Sakura let out a worried squeak. Sasuke was there, too, but he was in no condition to be fighting.

Sakura knew he would anyway, and due to his foul mood, he'd probably kill anyone who entered the room besides the two he was holding captive. Sakura shuddered a little.

Sakura started to memorize the paths of the town, all the possible entrances and exits. All possible hiding places.

She quickly walked down to a nearby store, bumping into a few, smelly men. Sakura successfully hid her disgust when two teenagers started hooting and hollering at her.

The moment she lost her cool was because of that disgusting man who decided that it was necessary to grab her ass.

Within a second, she had his arm pushing against his back painfully. "Don't you dare think that I am some whore," she hissed at the whimpering man, eventually deciding to release him from the pain he was in.

She ignored all the other pedestrians' stares.

Entering the gritty shop, Sakura realized that there really weren't any people in here. Not many could afford such...delicacies here. It was a very poor town, after all. She was reminded of that when she saw the hooker at the corner, no older than fourteen. Her heart nearly burst at the sight of it.

Going directly to the medicine, she found a weak aspirin to take away just enough of the pain, but not all of it. Not that Sasuke would know the different strengths between aspirins. The bottle cost one thousand yen.

The old grouch at the counter received her with dollar signs practically gleaming in his eyes. "Two thousand yen," he croaked, and Sakura shot him a hostile look.

"The bottle says a thousand," she informed him. He snorted.

"Well, the price has gone up, young lady. Pay up." Sakura frowned, digging in her pocket for her wallet. "Say, is the color natural?"

Her head snapped up. "Excuse me?" she stated flatly.

"Your hair. Is it natural?" She gave him a curt nod. "I'll lower the price to one thousand yen if you give me one lock of your hair." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Just one, that's all?" she asked incredulously. The man nodded. Sakura sighed and pulled out a kunai. She pressed the edge against one, thick piece of hair, and she felt each strand come off.

Sakura distinctly remembered the last time she had to do this, but this time she wasn't required to cut it all off. She did anyway.

The greed intensified in the old man's eyes. "Thank you!" He practically jumped in delight. "Forget about paying; you can leave now!" Sakura bowed politely then headed back to her room. When she entered, Kenji commented on her hair, asking what happened to it and such. She just snorted at his shocked face when she told him what happened. She looked in to the bathroom.

Sasuke was bent over at the toilet with all the lights off.

Sakura had to try so hard not to laugh. She strolled over to him, leaning over so he would be able to hear her.

"I got the aspirin," she whispered. The Uchiha grunted, and Sakura rolled her eyes. _What a baby._

After thirty minutes of holding back Sasuke's bangs while he emptied his stomach, Sakura watched his body become limp. She filled a cup with water and gave him two aspirin. He took it in a rush, gulping down the pills and water like a parched man who had just found an oasis.

Sakura's lips turned downward. She just couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even though she knew it was wrong. Her heart was beating a little faster, and her stomach clenched in sympathy.

Kenji ran into the bathroom and attached himself to Sakura's hip. "Mommy!" he gasped. "Someone's at the door, someone's at the door!"

All senses went on alert. Sakura narrowed her eyes. She could sense it, a powerful chakra. And he was just standing at the door. There were no shuffling sounds, nothing. He was waiting for them to come out, so he could attack. _This totally screws up my escape plans_, she thought angrily.

She looked at the shower. She shushed her son by putting one finger to her lips. She ushered him into the facility. "Don't make a sound," she mouthed, and Kenji nodded, fright apparent on his face. She smiled nervously at him before brushing her lips over his forehead. Sakura knelt down to Sasuke's level.

"I need you to get the door," she said softly. He glared at her.

"Are you fucking kidding?" he snarled. "Like this?"

"Sakura's eyes were wide, fearing for her son. "Please. " A silent battle commenced. Sakura no longer felt intimidated by his glares so it was easier to keep eye contact with him.

"Fine," he hissed, getting up clumsily. He was more than a little shocked when Sakura pulled him back down.

"Wait," she gasped, putting her callused fingers to his head. "Your headache. Let me heal it."

"Wha-" Sasuke felt warm chakra invading him. He had to resist the urge to force the foreign substance out. Sakura hushed him as he squeezed his eyes shut and his breathing became labored.

Sakura realized this was a rather vulnerable situation for the man, and she tried to soothe him in the best way she could at the moment. She slapped herself mentally for not being able to uncaring.

Eventually, Sasuke's breathing became evened out, and his eyes opened slowly. The pain was now just a dull aching. He gave the pink-haired woman a brief glance before stepping soundlessly to the door. It was true; there was a chakra behind that door. It was extremely strong. Sasuke pulled out his blade, holding it at the ready. He whipped the door open.

At that moment, the chakra vanished.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger. If there had been a shinobi there, he would have been somewhat happy. He could finally lash out at someone.

If he lashed out at the small family of two, it would ruin everything.

He grunted angrily and slammed the door shut. He returned to the bathroom.

"They escaped," he said roughly.

Then he noticed something off kilter. Sakura had done something to alter herself. Something, somehow...

His eyes roamed her body until they rested on her currently untidy locks.

"Your hair," he commented softly.

Sakura touched it absentmindedly. "Oh, um, yes. I cut it to pay for the aspirin. The old man wanted it. It's not a big deal. I cut it a lot so it grows back fast." Sasuke calculated how short it was. If one saw the back of Sakura's head, they would most definitely think she was male. Of course, if they had seen her from the front, they would be able to see her soft, feminine features. From her "large" forehead to her small feet.

"Hn," he grunted, missing the way Sakura had rolled her eyes at him. He glanced at the clock. "We are going to start moving," he demanded. Sakura nodded and helped Kenji out of the shower. The mother and child quickly gathered their things and were ready to leave.

Sasuke did not miss how Kenji grabbed clung to Sakura's hand, as if hanging on for dear life. The little boy was no doubt scared of the intense chakra they had felt moments earlier. Even Sasuke had felt a bit suffocated.

They headed out.

After ten minutes, they had paid their hotel fee and exited the facility. They walked, Sasuke leading the way, for quite a bit of time before they reached the exit.

Once they reached it, Sakura stopped. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Kenji, wanting to keep him close and never let go.

"Sasuke."

"Mm."

"IF we do get to Oto, what's going to happen to Kenji?"

Sasuke froze in his tracks. He had honestly never thought of that. Scratch that; he hadn't even thought of what would happen to Sakura. Despite his inner turmoil, he shrugged.

"At best, Orochimaru will allow you to keep Kenji around. At worst..." Sasuke gulped silently. "Kenji will get killed."

Sakura felt Kenji fly to her leg, hanging on to it for dear life. The poor boy was trembling, and for the first time, crying. It came out in loud wails, and her shorts were getting soaked. Sakura didn't care, though. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Kenji screamed. She felt tears sting at her eyes, but she couldn't let them fall when her son needed her the most. She needed to be the strong one.

Sakura crouched down to her son's eye level. Kenji threw his arms around his mother's neck and sobbed into her shoulder. Rubbing soothing circles on his back, she whispered in his ear, sweet nothings that really had no long term effect. However, it was good enough for now for his tears soon subsided.

Sasuke watched awkwardly. He wished that there was something he could do to comfort the boy, but there really was nothing he could think of. He wasn't the boy's father; he really had no relation to the boy.

"Let's get going," Sakura said softly. Sasuke just gave her an affirmative shake of the head.

They did not talk for the rest of the day. Sakura simply stared at the dying grass surrounding the path while Sasuke's gaze was directed forward. Once Kenji was too tired to move anymore, Sakura took him up on her back. Feeling his steady breathy on her neck comforted her. It reminded her that he was still here with, still being her little, baby boy.

She wondered how long it would last.

They eventually had to stop, and Sasuke made camp quickly.

Lying across from each other, they both put up the pretense of being asleep, but both knew that the other wasn't. When Sakura cracked an eye open, she met Sasuke's empty, black eyes. Sakura pulled her son closer to her protectively, as if there was a monster lying in front of them that was after his life.

She had never felt so hopeless.

OOO

Thanks for reading!

So...what do you think? ;)

*Thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, or faved. It means a lot to me. Let's try and make it past the two hundred line this time!

Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I just might not be able to answer it.

A'ight. Peace.


	9. But Thanks to the Lollipop Man,

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

Gold barley fields had never looked more beautiful to Sakura, knowing that it might have been the last thing picturesque thing she saw.

Yes, Sakura was contemplating killing herself.

If she killed herself, Sasuke could not take her to Sound, and moreover, Kenji. There was a high chance that Orochimaru would find out that Kenji was an Uchiha, and he would take him away from her and corrupt him. And if he didn't, he'd kill Kenji. Worst case scenarios were often the most realistic.

She couldn't let that happen.

Though losing his mother at a young age would be a scar that would never completely heal, he'd recover, for the most part. He'd live, return to the village, inform Naruto of her death, spend a couple months grieving, then carry on with life. He'd become a successful shinobi, grow up, have a girlfriend, get married, have children...

Sakura's heart clenched at the thought of not being able to be there for him.

Having his first friends, graduating the academy, completing his first mission, crying when he had executed his first kill, the first spark of interest in girls, the first time he would get snarky with her, first loss of a friend, first kiss, first...-she shuddered at this- wet dream, first girlfriend, first child with many more to come...

Sakura wanted to watch him experience that and to guide him through the highs and lows of life, almost more than anything.

But she would never forfeit his life.

Sakura wasn't afraid of her death. She was just afraid that her death would not go as planned.

OOO

They walked for thirty minutes more before something burst out of the road and attacked Sasuke.

It was the same person from behind the door, he realized.

Instinctively, Sakura grabbed Kenji and pulled him away from the struggle.

"Mommy," Kenji gasped. "His mask looks like an orange flavored lollipop!"

It was true, oddly enough. There were curves swirling around the only eyehole in it. The rest of him was clad in obsidian. Sakura's eyes narrowed into slits. Was he a traditionalist? There weren't very many around nowadays, but maybe they hadn't all died out. Sakura slipped into a stance that was natural for her.

"Kenji," she whispered. "Run and find a place to hide. Do that thing Mr. Uchiha taught you; mask your chakra."

The boy opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. He obeyed. He broke off into a sprint.

Sakura was grim. It was the last time she would probably ever see him.

She hadn't even had the chance to say "I love you" just one more time. What she would give to have just five more minutes...

But she couldn't think about that now.

The man with the orange mask directed a kunai toward her neck, obviously aiming for the kill. _Not yet, _was all Sakura thought. She snatched it quickly. The man chuckled, the tone high-pitched. Sakura gasped. Were they fighting a child?

"Oh, goodness. Sakura-san, you and your son always manage to surprise me. Kenji-kun really is a bright boy! Tobi likes him very much! Or rather, those eyes ofhis. It's always good to have backups." Sakura felt every limb freeze as she caught a glimpse of his eye. Red. Three tomoe.

The Sharingan.

The one who called himself Tobi giggled hysterically. "Oh, you've seen Tobi's eye, have you? Yes, Tobi has a Sharingan. He is an Uchiha, after all."

Then he disappeared.

A scream escaped Sasuke's lips as a sword slashed, then impaled his chest.

"Sasuke!"

Tobi just shook his head as he slowly slid his sword out of Sasuke's chest, a horrifying squelching sound produced. Sasuke fell to the ground, eyes open.

"Well, Sakura-san. Tobi will be leaving now, but don't worry. He will come back for Kenji-kun soon! Bye-bye!" He waved as he disintegrated.

Sakura's blood went cold.

It was not a good sign that Sasuke had passed out with his eyes open.

Rushing to his side, Sakura placed two fingers to a vein in his neck. Weak, but there. Commanding healing chakra to her hands, she tried to seal up the wounds but decided against it. This was a filthy and unsterilized area. Sasuke could get an infection if she healed the wounds there. If she ran at maximum speed, she could make it back to that village in thirty minutes. She could treat Sasuke's wounds there. Sakura decided on that, though the alternative of leaving him there was looking more and more attractive every second. He didn't look like he had much of a chance.

Sakura frowned. She was just such a goody two shoes. She brought out two plasma pills from her pocket.

Crunching them in her mouth until they were a fine powder and dissolved in her saliva, she opened his mouth with her fingers and spit the solution in. She massaged his throat to get the liquid down.

Slinging him over her shoulder, she started moving her legs in long, powerful strides.

Then she smiled.

She wouldn't lose Kenji, after all.

OOO

The pink-haired medic eventually did stumble across her son. He was crying, tears of happiness, he had said. Though they could not kiss and hug, they did hold hands on the way to the village. Kenji told her that she was warm, and in return, he got a warm smile.

However, Sakura was having a hard time keeping Sasuke warm.

At the town entrance, Sakura stopped running with a skid and took a moment to catch her breath, as did Kenji.

"Mommy, I'm tired."

"I'm tired, too, baby. Just let me fix up Mr. Uchiha." Kenji smiled.

"Okay."

Sakura shivered without wanting to. She could feel the fiery blood seeping into her back. She had to hurry.

They went into the first hotel they came across. The people all stared at her like this was some common occurrence. Perhaps it was. Maybe people constantly brought bleeding, dying people into this inn. They gave her a room freely, not even caring that there was a man that she had possibly killed on her back. People nowadays just didn't care enough.

Giving the now scarlet-stained keys to Kenji, Sakura made sure Sasuke wouldn't slip and hit his head. With a click, the door opened. The room was ratty, but it was clean. It would suffice. Sakura relinquished the bleeding man to the bed. She repeated the process of feeding plasma pills. This time, though, Kenji caught her in the act.

"What are you doing?" he asked innocently.

Her cheeks glowed pink. "U-um, nothing!" she stammered. "Kenji, pull out one of the drawers from the nightstand. Yes, good job. Fill it with water. Only half full." Kenji happily went to do his task, grateful he had something to do. So was Sakura.

Sakura pushed Sasuke's bangs away from his face. She caught some heat on her fingertips. "A fever," she grumbled. "Perfect. Where's that aspirin?" Whilst digging around in her pockets, Kenji came with the drawer.

"I filled it, I filled it, Mommy!" he yelped, some of the water splashing out as he stumbled.

She smiled wearily at him as she took the drawer from him. "Thank you, baby," Sakura rasped as she pecked his forehead. The moon's beams were now shining through the window, creating a comforting gleam. "Go to bed," she demanded. "It's been a long day. You need some rest." Kenji was about to argue, but Sakura gave him a stern look, one that clearly said, 'I don't need this right now.'

It turned out that Kenji actually was exhausted, and he fell asleep once he hit the mattress. They weren't particularly soft, but they felt like clouds of heaven at that moment. Sakura sighed, though on her face there was a soft grin.

She turned to her task at hand. Sasuke was running out of blood and a fever from his fatal injuries. Well, they wouldn't be fatal for much longer now. With a kunai, she sliced apart his sleeves and cast the pesky shirt aside. She then flipped him on his side. Gently rubbing a washcloth with water over his wounds, Sakura watched as Sasuke violently shivered once. She repeated the procedure, dipping it into the drawer's water until she no longer found it necessary.

Healing chakra warmed her hands and out a calming sigh went. First, the puncture hole. Then the slash.

However, she did not heal them completely. First off, it was dangerous for her to expend that much chakra. Second, he could not come after her since he would be in no condition to. He would be fit enough to live, but he'd have to heal the rest of his wounds. Also, the half healed state was very uncomfortable. It was a revenge of sorts.

Sakura decided to stay for two hours into the night. That way, she could be sure that Sasuke would not die. She wouldn't want that on her conscience; the killing of her son's biological father.

Suddenly, Sasuke thrashed wildly, his hand seemingly searching for something. Almost instinctively, it latched onto Sakura's, drawing out a sharp breath from her.

His eyes were open, twitching sporadically. A strangled cry left him, and his grip was so strong that if Sakura were anyone else, all the bones in her hand would be crushed.

"Don't-" he jerked.

"Don't what?" Sakura whispered.

"Don't-" he repeated a few more times. The veins protruded from his neck due to the stress he was putting on his body.

"Sasuke," Sakura said gently. "I'm right here. I'm right here."

Sasuke seemed to understand because for some reason, he stopped throwing his arms and legs about and just settled for heavy breath.

"Don't-" he said once again.

"Don't what?"

"Don't-"

-his breath came out in huffs and gasps-

"Don't - leave- me-" he begged.

Sakura, in a moment of weakness, could not help herself. However disgusted at the action, at the impression of her old self, she did it anyway.

Her lips met his.

It wasn't a "cute" moment. Sasuke's lips sought hers, needy. Imploring.

With a gasp, Sakura drew back, touching her swollen lips. Sasuke had found it sufficient for he was out like a light.

A face colored with shades of crimson and vermillion, she hastily removed herself from her previous position at Sasuke's bedside.

Shaking Kenji gently, he awoke, slightly grumpy. They gathered their things as quietly as they could after Sakura covered Sasuke with a blanket.

Then they ran.

OOO

Thank you for reading! AND REVIEWING.

Wow, we passed the 200 mark and then some. Could we get to...say 250? If you have any questions, ask! If I can answer them, I will. If not, I will be purposely ambiguous.

Well, the next update will probably be Tuesday! Probably.

Also, I have a poll on my profile. Could I trouble you to look at it and answer?

Thanks. Till next time!


	10. We Escape

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

*Warning: there is a non-graphic lemon in this chapter. Readers beware.

OOO

_My eyes flash open. _

_Shivers wrack my body, my flesh hot, my body cold. _

_My hand searches for my mother's slender, bigger hand. I cry out. I don't want her to leave me alone. Not like this. I struggle to bring the words out, but the pain is so excruciating that uttering even one word causes me to break out into sweat. Finally, I say it. I beg it._

_"Don't leave me."_

_That's one it hits me. This woman's hand is smaller than mine. The knuckles are rough and scarred. _

_This woman is not my mother. It is Sakura._

_I fall into darkness once more._

* * *

_The only thing I register is numbness. _

_Did I have wounds before? Or was it all a big dream? All I can remember is Sakura's face as the man in the mask plunged his blade through me. It was horrified, scared._

_Scared for me._

_What had that man said to me? I can only remember snippets of our conversation._

_"...Rinnegan."_

_"The eyes..."_

_"... haven't noticed yet? Perhaps you were too young to learn of that..."_

_"...fathered a son..."_

_I know I was so shocked at what he had said to me. It made my mind empty, yet conflicted. My body froze. It was something I just couldn't comprehend. I recall thinking, "Why hasn't she told me?"_

_It is beyond me why I can't remember it, which is frustrating. Perhaps the pain of my wounds is hazing my mind. Perhaps my mind is blocking it out involuntarily. I can only draw up pictures of six years ago, when I saw Sakura again. It's playing like a movie in my head, except through my eyes._

* * *

_I saw the guard at the door, arguing. His posture stiff and steady, I knew he would not budge. Curiousity getting the better of me, I went to see who it was. A flash of pink and red caught my eyes._

_Haruno Sakura. _

_She had grown up. At fifteen years old, she was quite average looking. Hair short, flabby muscles like a civilian girl, and a timid face. Not the kind of woman I would enjoy._

_I furrowed my eyebrows. She was alone, oddly. Really, since she was the weak link in the team, she should have someone beside her, protecting her. I turned my back on her, ready to ignore her presence._

_Something stopped me. Something compelled me to go assist her. To give her what she had wanted after all these years. This was probably the last time I'd ever see her anyway. Orochimaru needed me with his work; he was planning on destroying Konoha and with difficulty, was trying to recruti Mist for the battle. She was obviously not here to wreak havoc; she did not have enough power anyway. I went to her. _

_"B-but you don't understand! I have to-" I interjected her._

_"Sakura." _

_She slowly raised her, and her eyes widened at the sight of me, like a taste of heaven._

_"Sasuke-kun..." she breathed._

_The guard looked between us. "Sasuke-sama, I swear that I wasn't going to let her in! She was just relentless and I-"_

_"Stand down. She's with me." The guard, words taken from his mouth, bowed. Sakura was granted passage. _

_"As you wish, Sasuke-sama." I gestured for Sakura to follow me. She was snapped back to reality from her dream world. Immediately, her defenses were brought up._

_"How have you been, Sakura?"_

_"How do you think I've been?" she bit out._

_"There's no need to be immature, Sakura. I just asked how you were doing. My intent was just to exchange pleasantries." Sakura rolled her eyes. _

_"So now you want to talk? It's a little late for that. You should've tried three years ago," she stated with a hiss. I dropped the subject. I was interested in how the rest of them were doing._

_"How's Naruto?"I asked. Sakura groaned. _

_"He's the same, but he's different," she explained to me, not quite making sense. I understood though._

_"Hn," I answered. Sakura was doing a very bad job at being angry with me. I could hear her heart beat fast, I saw her cheeks warm ever so slightly, and her pupils dilated. However, her relaxation ended with this:"Why are you here?" She drew in a sharp breath._

_"Buying supplies," she briefly said. "That's all."_

_I smirked. "Sadly enough. I believe you. You're too weak to be on your own for a few days, as usual." She smiled, an activity of the weaker powers. _

_"You're probably right, Sasuke-kun." I did not feel bad for calling her weak. She was, after all. Both her body and mind. She could not even control her emotions, and her chakra levels were startling low. Or maybe it had just seemed that way at the time. _

_"Hn," I replied. We passed by the market. _

_"I need to buy supplies," she reminded me. She entered a shop, and it seemed that most of what she needed was there. She scooped them into her arms and placed them on the counter, then started digging around in her purse for her wallet. I stay her hand._

_"Let me," I commanded. She opened her mouth, but I gave her a look that said 'do not argue with me.' She begrudgingly let me pay for her supplies. _

_I bought dinner for her. We made useless, small talk. None of what she had said piqued my interest, and I think she knew that, but she kept chattering on. Then I paid the bill, and we left. _

_She tried to excuse herself, obviously feeling awkward. _

_"Thank you for today, Sasuke-kun. It was very fun."_

_"Hn," I replied._

_"Well, I'd better go find somewhere to set up camp. I'll...see you later, okay?"_

_We both knew it wasn't true, yet she still bothered to say it? However, I was not done giving her what she had wanted. _

_"Let me find you a room." Her startled expression nearly made me smile. It was humorous. Had she not figured it out yet? I was doing this for her._

_"Really, Sasuke. You've already done so much for me. I know the rooms are full, but I'll just camp outside for the night. There's no need," she manages to stammer._

_"I insist." And that was the end of it. Sakura couldn't argue with me. I thought she would never be able to._

_I brought her to a hotel. I found the manager. "I need a room," I told him. "I want the surrounding rooms empty as well." He replied that of course, he would give me a room. I was Uchiha Sasuke, after all. _

_I came out to Sakura. "I have gotten you a room." Her eyes darkened with sadness._

_"Th-thank you," she mumbled. "Really, you've been so kind today."_

_I shrugged it off. I think she knew what was coming next."I'll walk you to your room," I said. Behind that, there was the tone 'don't argue with me.'_

_She nodded meekly. _

_I walked one step behind her, almost close enough to breathe in her scent._

_She reached the room and opened her mouth, no doubt to say thank you. I, however, did not want to hear it._

_My mouth covered hers in a loveless, wet kiss. She gasped into my mouth, and my tongue took the time to explore the cavity. I pushed her into the room, locking the door. _

_"Sasuke, no..." she moaned as I placed one hand on her clothed ass and squeezed it. _

_"Shut up," I rasped, throwing her purse to the side. My lips found their way to her collarbone, and I started to lick. Her breath and mine were becoming ragged, heavy. Needy._

_The clothes were quickly stripped. I was never one for foreplay._

_I plunged into her. _

_The sounds of skin slapping together echoed in the room. I felt her walls start to spasm tightly around me, but I was too late._

_I felt my stomach muscles clench, and white light filled my vision. My seed spurted into her._

_I did not withdraw in time._

_I never come inside a woman. I do not wanting her to get pregnant with my child. However, I miscalculated. I did not know that Sakura had been a virgin. She couldn't last as long as the other women I had been with. _

_I laid down beside her and watched her breathing out, the girl drifting to sleep. Once she fell asleep, I left. When she awoke, she was alone. I did not see her horrified expression. I did not see it contort to sadness. _

_I did not see her cry._

OOO

"Mommy, mommy! Where are we going?" Kenji gasped.

"We're running away," Sakura explained, her hand placing an iron grip on her son's.

"But Mr. Uchiha-"

"-can take care of himself," Sakura finished. "We got to get out of here." So memorizing the routes of the town had had a purpose. Sakura and Kenji went through the allies, the most discreet route to exit the town. They had passed a few people, but they were mostly druggies high on whatever they chose, and they escaped fairly quickly. Kenji had not raised another argument.

"We're out," he breathed. Sakura nodded with soft smile, bending over to place her hands on his shoulders comfortingly.

His face broke out into a grin.

"Mommy, we're free!" he laughed, throwing his arms around her neck. The pair giggled, and Sakura spun in circles with her little boy attached to her neck. They finally recovered from their fits of laughter, and Sakura gently dropped her son on the ground. Pulling down her shirt collar, she shoved her hand into and tore the inside of her bra. Once messy and broken, Sakura could slip her fingers into the two pieces of fabric and grab the scroll the Mizukage had given her.

She opened it.

It was full of seals and characters of hiragana, brushed in ink neatly and symmetrical. Sakura knew what to do. She bit her thumb, drawing out blood.

"Bite your thumb," she instructed Kenji, and he did so, cringing and making a face at the taste of his own blood.

The two spread liquid life onto the scroll. Kenji started fidgeting as he copied his mother as she performed hand seals.

"Mommy," he whispered. "Can I hold your hand?" Sakura nearly melted. He was through with being brave now. It was adorable, and she would swoon like the mother she was if they had the time, but it was of the essence right now.

"Of course, sweetheart," she said, extending it to him. His tinier fingers curled around hers, squeezing tightly for reassurance.

They both inserted chakra into the scroll.

With a poof, they disappeared, traveling through long distances in literally no time.

Disoriented, they looked at where they had landed.

Torino smiled at them.

"Welcome to Itachi's abode, you two."

OOO

I tried something new in the beginning. Do you like it?

Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! Could we get to... 290?

I would appreciate feedback. Tell me what you like and don't like.

*I know it's a bit short, but I tend to stop chapters when it feels like the end, not by length. So bear with me. Sorry!

Someone asked, "What is a traditionalist?"

It is something I made up, but it seems possible to me.

You know how on TV all the ninjas we see are in all black and masked and everything? I call that a traditionalist.

The ninjas of Naruto seem newer, y'know? The civilians aren't in the dark as to their existence, and their clothes are very modern. That's the new generation.

Hope I cleared some things up?


	11. And You Understand Somehow

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

OOO

"Wh-what?" Kenji breathed. "We're- we're in Uncle Itachi's place again? Are you sure it's Uncle Itachi's place, Miss Mizukage?"

"I think I'd know the home of my own brother-in-law," she hummed noncommittally, plucking at her cuticles with precision from her perch on some boxes, knees apart. The room was dim and dusty.

Sakura blanched when she examined the room.

Next to a blade covered with dried up blood, there was a man with silver hair, bound to a chair and gagged. His hands were stiffly tied with wires in front of him, so his captor could see his hands. He was whimpering with fright, rosy nose and bloodshot eyes. He was relatively clean looking, clad in a nicely tailored suit with fringes in all the right places. _A rich man, eh? _Sakura thought. However, after examining him once more, she changed her choice.

Torino's lips curled upward ever so slightly. "You've noticed, have you?" she husked, hopping down from her seat, her stiletto heels clacking with every step as she circled him like he was her prey. "Kenji, what type of man is this?" she drawled lazily, her deep voice taking on a higher pitch.

"He's a ninja! An undercover ninja!" the boy cheeped excitedly, clapping his hands together.

"Why?" Torino asked.

"His hands are too perfect. Way too perfect for a civilian. Shinobi usually have calluses all around their hands, knuckles, palms, and fingertips, along with many scars. His calluses have been rubbed down," he finished, pointing at the perfect hands. "Even civilian's have a few calluses on their knuckles."

It was true. The man's hands were smooth. Well, maybe not as smooth as they had once been since there were wires digging into them, causing indentations of pink. Some of the fingers were also crooked and swelled, indicating that they had been broken recently.

Sakura cringed, her face contorting in sympathy.

"Ah, captain," she said out of habit, facing her previous ANBU team leader. "Could we, y'know, not show Kenji...this?" She motioned to the bound man.

He blinked at her innocently. "Why, what's wrong with it, what's wrong?"

Luckily for Sakura, she did not have to explain. Torino ushered them out of the dim room, and Sakura took a lungful of fresh air, inhaling and exhaling blissfully. The room had been far too musky for her tastes.

Suddenly, a loud shriek filled her senses. "ITACHIIIII!" Torino screamed, the pitch starting low and ending on a very high note, probably an octave above a treble staff line. "SAKURA'S HERE! KENJI TOO!"

The sounds of padded running reached Sakura's ears. "Oh, my!" Haruna cried out, now slender and fit. "Itachi, it's all right! She's telling the truth this time."

"This time?" asked the innocent boy.

Sakura just shook her head.

In a flash, three men arrived; Itachi, Kisame, and someone Sakura had never seen before. Itachi looked genuinely relieved to see her.

"Sakura-san," he greeted politely with a wave of his hand. Kisame gave her a little bow. Kenji copied him for some reason, and Haruna just thought that was the cutest thing in the world.

"Aw!" she squealed. "He's adorable, Sakura. I can't wait till we have a son," she said, bending to her knees and giving Kenji's shoulders a squeeze. It was obviously a not-so-subtle hint to Itachi. His cheeks colored, and he cleared his throat.

"Come, Sakura-san," he said. "We were not expecting you. It is..." he paused," ...two in the morning. Please be as quiet as you can. We do not want to wake the baby."

Sakura's eyes brightened. "Ba...by?" she whispered breathlessly. "That's right!" She looked to Haruna's stomach, and the woman beamed at her.

"Yes," she said. "Our daughter is now two months old."

Sakura literally started jumping in place. "Can I see her?" Itachi chuckled.

"Of course, but we must get you and Kenji cleaned up first and get a good night's sleep. When was the last time you showered?" he inquired while his nose crinkled.

"Er...I think it was five weeks ago, Uncle!" Kenji replied. "Five weeks!"

Itachi shivered, obviously repulsed. Haruna threw her head back and laughed, a hearty sound filling the hallway.

"Come. Let's get you guys squeaky clean!" She chirped as she draped an arm around Sakura's waist, ushering them along. Itachi sighed.

"She's going to get her arm dirty and full of germs. She can't touch the baby then," he croaked.

The man beside Kisame sighed. "Oh, please. A little dirt isn't going to hurt your daughter."

OOO

Sakura gasped as she saw her reflection. Grime was smeared over her forehead and arms. She sported scrapes and bruises down her legs, and a furry forest was fertilizing itself underneath her arms. She didn't mind that too much though.

She looked to her son and really took in his appearance. His hair was sticking to his face and up. He had unidentified stickiness plastered over his cheeks and surrounding his mouth. Dirt covered him. Really, he was almost tan, apart from the little dots of brown.

Sakura did something she hadn't done in a while.

She laughed for no reason.

It proved to be contagious, for soon Kenji was laughing as well. They jumped into the giant tub and started splashing each other as a game. After ten minutes of playing, they began scrubbing thoroughly. Sakura would ignore her hairy pits. For now. She soon washed herself thoroughly, all horrid scents dissipating with the glorious soap of wonder.

Threading her fingers into Kenji's hair, she started kneading the shampoo in, attempting to quell the stench permeating from it. However, it was difficult. The hair was stringy and stuck together in knots. She dragged her fingers through them, trying not to hurt Kenji.

"Sorry," she apologized, exasperated. "Our hair is just so dirty; it's hard to get all the...particles out." Kenji nodded, choosing not to answer as he played with a toy boat he had found in the cabinet below the sink in the bathroom.

"Ahh, we're sinking!" he cried, as the boat went underwater. "Quick, jump off! The boat will split in half! Boom, boom!" He made motions with his hands as he made sound effects.

"You know, there's a movie like that. It's called _The Titanic_," Sakura informed him.

Kenji looked to his mother. "Is it an action movie?"

"No, it's a romantic tragedy," she replied. His face quickly turned disappointed.

"Meh," was the answer. Disinterested, he turned back to his ship. He concocted a story with it, and as Sakura listened to his narration, she listened intently. The kid was quite a storyteller, using lots of emotion with his words. His boat went flying all over the place, and Sakura was having a hard time getting the boy clean.

"Hold still," she demanded, and the boy whined and complained. Sakura would take none of it. She promptly snatched the boat and withheld it from him. "You can play with it tomorrow."

Kenji, now angry and frustrated, harrumphed and proceeded to give Sakura the cold shoulder. However, he was staying still, and Sakura was grateful for that. She scrubbed and lathered, making sure to get every place dirt-free.

Then she withdrew her fingers gently. "All done!" she cheered.

Kenji nodded sleepily, leaning on his mother's breasts. Her lips quirked crookedly. Really, her son was just adorable. "I'm tired," he moaned, eyelids fluttering.

"Let's get out then," Sakura said, her own eyes feeling stressed.

The two dressed in the yukatas that Haruna had stealthily placed in the bathroom. They were loose, light-fitting. Nice, really. This was the only comfort clothing they had worn for a while. They dried their hair with haste, and Sakura literally had to shove a toothbrush down Kenji's throat.

The woman of the house was waiting outside. "All done?" she said softly. Sakura nodded, hoisting an exhausted Kenji on to her hip, head resting on her shoulder. Haruna smiled softly. "It's been a long day for you two, hasn't it?"

Sorrow filled Sakura's eyes. "A long three months, if you will." Haruna's smile fell, and she took one of Sakura's hands.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. You need sleep." She didn't let go of the hand she was holding and through a dark, narrow hallway, she led Sakura to a spare room. She brought out a key and unlocked the door swiftly, pushing it open. "We warmed the room up for you. There are extra blankets in the closet, and the bathroom is two doors down. Sorry, we don't have beds. Yet." The room looked perfect. There were two futon on the tatami mats, the moon shed just enough light through the shoji doors, and the room was indeed warm. Intricate decorations and paintings of traditional folktales filled the fusuma walls.

"Thank you," Sakura sighed as she heard Kenji moan, frustrated that he wasn't in bed yet. "Can I ask where the Mizukage's room is?"

"Oh, you can't miss it. Three halls down to the right. There may be...loud sounds coming from that room. Loud, inappropriate sounds. I wouldn't recommend taking Kenji down there." Sakura chuckled underneath her breath.

"Believe me, I know." She took her first step into the room. "Good night," she whispered, her head peeking out the door.

"Good night," Haruna echoed, waving at the rosette.

The door shut with click.

Sakura rubbed her son's back, the dark comforting her tense eyes. Kenji's soft cheek pressed against her shoulder insistently, the weight suggesting that he was close to falling asleep. "Kenji, there's a futon here. You have your very own!" she said underneath her breath.

"I wanna sleep with you," he mumbled, nearly incoherent. Due to her experience in mothering this child, Sakura could understand him.

"I thought we were too old for that," she teased quietly, grasping Kenji by the waist and setting him down on his feet. He stumbled a bit, disoriented, but he eventually found his way to a futon. Sakura quickly followed suit, the two of them snuggling together contently.

Sakura's eyelids started drooping once she hit the comfortable material. She almost moaned in pleasure.

Suddenly, Kenji spoke, startling his mother. "Mommy," he started.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Is Mr. Uchiha going to be okay?"

Sakura felt her muscles gather into bunches. The little boy had obviously gotten very attached to his father."Are you worried about him?"

"Mm-hmm." Kenji rubbed his eyes. "Mommy, what if...what if he dies?"

Sakura sighed. "He won't die." _If he's not an idiot, he won't, _she added mentally. However, she did not voice that, knowing that it would cause Kenji distress. "Baby, he's very strong. He won't die from a little wound like that."

Sakura hated lying to her son. She knew it would protect him in the long run, but he wouldn't appreciate it. She could only hope that Sasuke could get some help and soon. He wouldn't die, but he overworked his body, his wounds would open again. He needed rest.

"He won't die," she whispered, trying to convince herself that it was true more than she was trying to convince her son.

For the rest of the night, she had nightmares of empty, black eyes and her hands stained with blood.

OOO

Sasuke woke up, and the first thing he registered was _pain_. Lots of it. It dispersed through his entire body. Sasuke tried to withstand it, but the pain was there to stay. He moaned, thankful that no one was around.

Wait, no one was around?

He shot straight up, immediately regretting it. Blood seeped into his stomach, and his stomach responded quickly to the foreign intruder. Gripping the sides of the bed, Sasuke leaned over and emptied his belly's contents. He repeated as the blood kept flowing in, retching sounds escaping from his throat. When he was finished, he weakly coughed out the remainders of the blood.

He scanned the room. There were no signs of Sakura and Kenji ever being there. They had taken all their belongings, leaving nothing behind. Not even a scent to go by. Sakura had erased all traces of ever being there. She had left.

Really, he couldn't blame her, and that shocked him. Usually, he would just get angry, but this time, it just wasn't worth it. Orochimaru probably would have killed Kenji, and Sakura, being the mother and woman that she was, would not allow that to happen to her son. Sasuke couldn't say that he would do the same if Kenji was his child, but he could understand it now, at least. Something clicked in his head, a light bulb brightening his muddy brain.

Straining his mind, he had the intense feeling that he had forgotten something important. It had large significance, but for some reason, his brain was not feeding this information to him. He knew it had something to do with Sakura AND Kenji, but he just couldn't remember.

Was it so traumatizing that he was voluntarily blocking it out?

There were few things so traumatizing. He couldn't even forget the fact that his family had been killed by his older brother. A fire burned in his stomach when he thought of Itachi, but he had more pressing things to ponder at the moment.

He chuckled and hacked up more blood.

This was going to be a long day.

He adjusted his pillows so he could lie back comfortably on them. The countless threadbare blankets on his bed would have to suffice as a source of warmth.

Sasuke looked down to his wounds. They were wrapped firmly but were loose enough for some breathing room. Out of curiosity, he unraveled the medical tape around his chest and abdomen.

He wished he hadn't.

A ragged scar defined his skin from just below his left clavicle to his right hip. The edges were brilliantly clotted, and scabs were starting to form over them. Just above his heart, a red patch existed. This scar was sparse; it could probably be peeled away. However, Sasuke didn't want to go through any more pain, so for the moment, he decided to let it be. There were also little puncture holes near his stomach, but those did not look as bad.

With this, he realized that Sakura had healed him before he left. His heart fluttered and not because of any pain or stabs.

Sakura had healed him. Granted, they were not completely healed, and he would have to refrain from strenuous activities for a while.

_Why would she do something like that? _he wondered deeply. _It's not logical._

Yes, he realized that she had really only saved him from his impending death, but the smart thing to do would have been leave him there to become vulture fodder. Why did she do it?

If she had left him there to die, she would have escaped with Kenji so much easier, going to civilization in no time flat. Instead, she healed every single wound on his body. Halfway, but nonetheless. It baffled him.

He was the enemy. Of course, he had been nicer lately to get her to cooperate more, but it also felt good to have her be nice to him. She smiled more, her arm would brush his teasingly, and she even trusted her baby boy with him. Sasuke liked it when Sakura was gentle with him.

A new memory came to mind. One where his lips were sucking on hers insistently, and he was cold and hot all at the same time. His neck warmed. That befuddled him as well. Sakura was such an interesting and perplexing woman. If he were someone else, he would have liked to explore her more, but he was Sasuke and had duties.

With a sigh, he decided to return this favor. Orochimaru would just have to lose this fight. Sakura and Kenji could live a peaceful life, never having to worry about danger. Sasuke would make sure of this.

He would never go looking for her again.

OOO

Gosh guys. Thanks for the reviews in the last chapter! I actually didn't expect that many.

Can we make to an even 300?

Again, any feedback is appreciated.

As you may see, I am working on the length. I added more descripciones. Keheh. Even though it is only six and a half pages.

Also, you may notice that I use OC's. They're going to be here for, like, the rest of the story. So sorry if that offends you.

Most of them won't take a big chunk of the story though some will have reoccuring roles.

Are you ready to see Itachi's baby?

a'ight. peace.


	12. Our Son Seems to Be Smarter than You

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

*Uploaded twice. Sorry.*

OOO

Sakura woke up four hours later at the light tapping at the door. She smiled as she looked down on her thigh. Somehow, Kenji's leg had ended up on her hip. Again. Gently, she slid it off, and Kenji moaned sleepily as he curled up underneath the covers, inching toward the indent in the futon that she had left. She opened the door.

"Yes?" she said to the white haired woman.

"I need you," she drawled lazily, motioning for her to come closer with one, manicured finger. Sakura covered her mouth.

"I didn't know we were at that point in our relationship!" she whispered breathily.

Torino snorted and shoved a bundle of clothes into her arms. "I know I'm sexy. Just keep your pants on, girl. Get dressed, and meet me out here." Sakura concurred to it, and quickly, she flung the yukata off. She pulled the pants on and slipped the shirt over her shoulders. She turned to Torino, grimacing at the end product.

"Captain, these are way too big."

Torino shrugged haughtily. "Not my fault you're so small." Sakura huffed with annoyance and simply rolled up the sleeves and the pant legs so they wouldn't drag on the floor. Quickly covering her feet with some slippers, Sakura nodded to Torino. With a shake of her head, Torino beckoned for Sakura to follow her, which Sakura did quite willingly. It had been a long time since she had talked to her captain, and they would catch up in time, but now was not one of those times. Sakura could tell by the proud and arrogant way the white-haired woman was carrying herself.

The woman led Sakura to the room they had been transported to. The room that the man was being held in. Unaware of her actions, Sakura swallowed, jittery in anticipation. Sakura turned to the woman for further instruction. Grimacing, Torino drew out a brass key, fading and darkening in color due to age.

"This man came here for Itachi's daughter." Sakura's breath caught in her throat, and she suddenly felt like the whole world was caving in on her. Torino frowned. "He told me he had a family; they need him to survive, but..." Sakura suddenly found the floor very interesting. Really, they were practically gleaming at the intensity she was staring at it.

"I'll have to kill him, unless you can erase his memory." Sakura shook her head up and down, her thoughts swirling violently in her head. When her captain grasped her shoulder, Sakura realized that her breaths were coming out in shallow gasps, and she immediately put an end to it. Calming her senses, she took deep, fulfilling breaths.

"If I do this, you won't kill him?"

The Mizukage gave her a crooked smile, almost a smirk but not quite. "You know I don't like doing that, Sakura." She shoved the key into its hole. "So you'll do it?" Sakura nodded, almost imperceptibly.

"He has to be still and conscious for this to work."

"Good. I'll hold him down." She turned the key and opened the door, holding it ajar for the pink-haired medic. "Ladies first."

Sakura snorted. "Funny."

The two women walked inside, and the man with silver hair panicked. He thrashed about wildly in his chair until it tipped over, where he continued to struggle. Torino dashed to his side and held his shoulders down, shoving her knees on to the backs of his, effectively trapping him. She gave a nod to Sakura. The man, whimpering now, shut his eyes and clenched his jaw, the muscles tightening spasmodically. Whapping him on the back of the head, he fell silent. Sakura bent over and tried to calm him.

"If you don't stop squiggling around, this is going to kill you." It worked, for he fell still, but it did nothing to soothe the man's nerves. He perspired heavily, and Torino made a face of disgust as she felt it soaking through his clothes.

"That shit better not be pee," she spat. The man just squeaked in response.

Sakura called warm chakra to her hands, and it was soon glowing with it. The man squeezed his eyes tightly shut as her hands neared his temples, but they opened again, wide, once they made contact. Soon, his eyelids began to droop sleepily. To no avail, he tried to force them open, but Sakura's Jutsu prevailed. Sakura smiled as she tampered with his brain and memories, erasing the ones she saw going through her head that involved Itachi and his family. When she was certain that all was finished, she withdrew her hands.

"I'm done," she informed the other woman. Torino let out a held breath. She had obviously been rather...tense during the procedure.

"Thank God it's over," Torino sighed. "Now we can get this piece of trash out of here." She roughly handled the unconscious man's limp body and threw him over her shoulder. "I'm going to be giving this guy to Saobi. You should get back to Kenji."

Thus, the Mizukage walked away.

What an odd girl.

Sakura shook her head, and her lips curled upward as she headed back to her room.

To her displeasure, Kenji had awoken already and was sitting applesauce style over his futon. His eyebrows were furrowed together, and it seemed that he was deep in thought.

"Hey, Kenji. Why aren't you asleep, sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream?" Sakura cooed, feeling his forehead with the back of her hand. "Are you sick?"

Kenji did not respond. He simply stared straight ahead and tapped his fingers against his knee, mumbling something incoherently. Suddenly, his head snapped up, his posture straightened, and he seemed to understand something now.

"I got it," he whispered. "I understand now, Mom."

Sakura was genuinely confused. She cocked her head cutely to the side and asked for enlightenment. "What do you understand, Kenji?"

"It's Mr. Uchiha, isn't it?" he demanded, standing up so he could look at his kneeling mom directly in the eyes.

"What's Mr. Uchiha? You're not making any sense, Kenji."

"Okay," he sighed, preparing himself for launching questions at his mother. "Do you remember how you told me that my dad was a bad person?"

* * *

_"Mommy, was Daddy a bad person?" Kenji asked. _

_"Yes, Kenji. Your daddy's a very bad person," she choked. "But baby, you're nothing like him." _

* * *

"Well, yes...but-" Kenji cut her off.

"And I heard you two talking when you thunk I couldn't hear you."

* * *

_"Listen here, woman," he rasped out in a dangerous tone, stressing her insignificance to him on that stupid word. "You mean nothing to me. I thought we had that established."_

_Sakura snorted defiantly. "Yeah. Next time you say that, maybe you should keep your cock in your pants!" She hissed._

* * *

"I think cock means private parts, right?"

"Kenji, you weren't supposed to hear that-"

"And then you said that Mr. Uchiha was a bully! And not just a normal bully. A killing bully!"

* * *

_"Kenji, don't talk to him!" she warned the little boy. "He's not like normal bullies; if he doesn't like you, he will kill you."_

* * *

Sakura vaguely wondered where he got "killing bully" from, but she realized that now was not the time to entertain such thoughts. It was over; she knew. Kenji was just too smart for his own good.

He had found out.

His intense gaze suddenly broke, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me that Mr. Uchiha was my dad?"

OOO

Sasuke awoke with a start, grabbing for his katana. Who the hell had gotten into his room? Sasuke would kill-

Boisterous laughing cut off his thoughts. Sasuke growled as he realized that he recognized this voice.

"Rudy Fallenhaust," he spat. The hairy man slapped Sasuke on the back, causing him to wince. God damn it, he didn't need this pesky existence right now! "What the hell do you want? Why are you still here? Haruno Kenji is not here anymore."

Rudy Fallenhaust hummed in agreement over on the opposite bed. "Yes, that boy isn't here anymore, but I noticed that they had brought you back here. You were pretty badly hurt, by the way. There was blood all over the back of the girl's shirt. I staked the place out, watched where she ran off to, and found this instead."

He tossed a bloody scroll over to Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes widened almost imperceptibly when he saw the familiar Mist symbol on its front.

"That little, white-haired bitch!"

OOO

I'm so sorry that was so short and late! Really, I am. But if I hadn't updated today, you wouldn't have gotten a chapter for at least another week. So my apologies!

Woohoo! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and faves. They mean a lot to me.

I am now going to do a sneak peak of the next chapter, a summary, if you will. Here it goes:

_Sakura knew she was betraying her country; she really did, hiding a criminal in her home. However, this criminal did not deserve to die. Naruto would never have to know. Sakura didnt' know at the time how much this would affect and stress the relations between Leaf and Mist._

On a completely unrelated note, you should watch Seirei no Moribito!


	13. Six Years Ago

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

The best Sakura could do now was waddle. Her swollen belly got in the way of almost everything, from simple tasks, such as grocery shopping, and harder ones, such as bending over. Two of which she was trying to accomplish at this moment. As her grocery list fell to the ground, Sakura groaned. Now there was more work to do! She had to pick up the groceries, cash in some checks, pick up some medical journals from the bookstore, cook dinner, take a shower, get to bed, AND now she had to pick up the grocery list! On top of that, her feet hurt due to the extra weight.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was hormonal or not, but she wanted to cry.

As she sniffed back the stinging tears, she stroked her smooth, rotund belly. "Don't feel sad," she whispered, as if the boy could understand her. "Mommy's fine."

As she leaned over, bending her knees slightly, to pick up the grocery list, she heard snickering from behind her. Once her thumb, index, and middle finger closed around the piece of paper and she had straightened her back, she looked behind her. Three girls she didn't know, presumably kunoichi due to their shuriken packs, and wearing a lot of makeup, were covering their mouths and talking animatedly in hushed whispers. When the trio noticed her scrutiny, they giggled once more.

"Sorry," one said, waving her hand at Sakura. "Did you need me to get that?" That was all it took for them to burst out laughing again.

Sakura pursed her lips and creased the list in half.

"I would think that was obvious," she stated flatly. Pushing her shopping cart along, she paid the girls no more heed. Passing along the outer edges of the grocery store, she picked up some organic orange juice, broccoli, yogurt, mixed beans, and bananas. She picked some vitamin C as well. Just in case. She quickly paid for her items, trying to ignore all the haughty stares in the store. It was hard, though. Abuse also occurred at the very outside of the store.

Sakura was no longer seen as Tsunade's finest pupil. All people saw now was the whore who got pregnant with Uchiha Sasuke's child at fifteen years old.

One boy, probably no older than her, swaggered up to her with a cocky grin. His friends behind him had the same malicious grin. "Hey, babe. I hear you're the one Sasuke knocked up. Huh, thought you'd be prettier."

Sakura tried to walk past him, but he forced himself in her way, causing her to stumble backwards a bit.

"What's wrong? I'm just trying to have some civil conversation." Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. "Well, can I feel your stomach? Your boobs are fine, too, though they are pretty small." The boys burst into laughter.

The pink-haired girl's eyes flew open at the feeling of a hand grasping her breast. It caused sears of pain to go flashing through it. Didn't these stupid idiots know that at thirty-two weeks, breasts would be ultra-sensitive? He squeezed.

"Please," she begged.

"What? Harder?" he chuckled. There was literally a roar of laughter filling the space, filling Sakura's ears. "How many times did you ask that of the Uchiha?"

"You're hurting me," she whimpered, feeling her breast hurting more and more. Ordinarily, she would just ram her fist into the guy's face, but considering her delicate condition, she decided it was not a wise idea. The guy just brought up another hand and was about to squeeze until...

A large hand slapped his away roughly, causing him to cry out in shock. A deep, feminine voice spoke up quietly, monotonously.

"Didn't you hear her? You're hurting her." The boy staggered away, indignant.

"Fuck off, bitch! Stay out of our business!" he spat angrily, a vein bulging in his neck.

"Only if you stay out of hers."

Sakura turned to notice her rescuer. The girl looked only slightly older than her, but infinitely more ragged and mature. Her dark, curly-wavy locks-Sakura couldn't decide- cascaded down to just above her hamstrings. Looking again, Sakura decided that her hair was definitely curly. Dirt and dried liquid were patted to her face, sticky. Little particles hung in her hair, but it wasn't too greasy.

The boy snarled and nearly foamed at the mouth, and before Sakura knew it, they had gotten into a fight. The lady moved just a few inches to dodge a punch the boy had thrown and instead of striking back, caught him by the hair. His friends debated on going to help him, but a sharp, dangerous look filled the girl's eyes. Throwing him backward, he crashed into the chests of his friends with a yelp, and all of them backed into a ready-to-fight position.

Instead of continuing, the girl took Sakura's bags of merchandise and started hauling it away but not before grabbing her arm tightly, pulling the medic along with her. Sakura opened her mouth to protest but found none could form.

It was because she was sobbing.

Tears streaked down her face, mucus drifted down from her nose, and her breaths were coming out in shallow gasps.

She had been so frightened.

Once out of the general vicinity and areas surrounding the grocery store, the savior returned her newly acquired possessions to her.

"Here you go," she said, not frowning or smiling. Her face was just...blank. Her arm was extended out toward Sakura.

"Thank you," Sakura sniffled, wiping her dripping nose with the back of her hand, not caring how gross it seemed. Then again, she couldn't tell if the girl thought it was beyond gross or not. The girl was covered in grime and blood anyway.

"It was no problem," the girl shrugged. Sakura took her items and shook her head.

"No really. Thank you," Sakura said sincerely. "It's been a long time since..." she trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. "Never mind." Noticing the woman had started walking off, she called out to her. "What's your name?"

The women stopped in her tracks and turned ever so slightly back to face Sakura.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she answered softly, continuing her seemingly significant trek.

Sakura was left there with the groceries and swollen feet.

OOO

Just as Sakura was in the process of preparing herself to sit by the fire and cast off her slippers so her aching feet would get some rest, someone knocked. Moaning, she braced her hands on her knees and hauled herself up. Mumbling to herself underneath her breath, she unlocked the door and was shocked to find that it was Naruto.

"Naruto," she breathed, genuinely surprised. "I thought your mission was going to end next week."

He gave her a crooked smile and shrugged. "We finished it early," he informed her softly.

Ever since he was informed of Sakura's pregnancy, Naruto had been talking quietly, so unlike his usual hyperactive self. It was as if he was afraid that shouting would hurt the baby.

Or maybe he was just hurt.

"Would you...like to come in?" she asked, stepping aside to grant him passage. The blond hesitated, looking to both sides and looking inside, desire to be with her evident in his eyes. Sakura's heart clenched. He was really worried that he might hurt her reputation. That sweet, sweet man. He had really matured a lot. "Naruto, come in," she demanded forcefully, pulling his arm and causing him to cry out in surprise. They strolled to the kitchen, and her friend helped himself to the cake on the counter, grabbing the plate she had been using. "Yummy," he rasped, slicing himself a generous portion. The pregnant girl's eyes gleamed with tenderness, and her lips curled up at the corners. "Your voice has gotten a lot deeper. You sound like a man," she commented. "You're already sixteen." Reaching over to take the knife so she could cut the scrumptious, chocolate cake on the counter, she missed the red tinge that colored Naruto's cheeks, neck, and ears.

"Well," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck to hide the growing flush, "it's all a part of life." Sakura hummed in agreement, picking up another dish.

"It's just hard to accept...believe sometimes," she voiced lightly, albeit a little sadly. The change from boy to man was always hard to keep up with...sometimes it felt like it occurred overnight.

She rubbed her belly and remembered.

Casting those thoughts away, she grasped the edge of her dish and motioned for Naruto to join her at the fire. At the hearth, Naruto pulled up a chair as Sakura settled herself on her favorite armchair, swinging her feet up to the matching stool. Naruto looked at her puffy feet and immediately turned sympathetic.

"Your feet are swollen," he said, no more than a whisper. Sakura huffed.

"Yeah, but it's really a natural part of the pregnancy since I'm getting so fat," she said, half laughing.

Naruto was silent at first. "You're not fat," he said, his callused hands ghosting over her toes.

"You're beautiful."

Sakura was absolutely speechless at his words. Earlier that day, she was pretty much called ugly, and now Naruto was showering her with generous praise? When his fingers started applying pressure, Sakura sighed in pleasure.

"That feels so nice," she encouraged him, leaning and sinking into her seat. A naughty, childlike smirk played out onto Naruto's face. It was so familiar Sakura could have cried.

"I am an expert massager," he bragged, rubbing his thumbs in all the right ways.

A memory sprang to Sakura's head. "Do you remember? We had that one D-ranked mission when we were Genin. An old lady was paying us to clean her house, babysit her kids, and massage her feet for a day. You were stuck with playing masseuse."

Naruto burst out laughing. "Oh, geez. She had athlete's foot, did I tell you? I had it on my hands for a while. It was disgusting."

Sakura couldn't help it. She snorted as she laughed, unable to contain it. "Athlete's foot? Oh, God. You poor thing."

"I know right? She also smelled like she had walked ten miles if fresh dog crap."

Obnoxious snorts and guffaws escaped Sakura's lungs, and the two friends continued laughing until they settled into a comfortable silence. Naruto continued rubbing her feet, and Sakura took a nibble out of her cake. She then laced her hands over her midsection and closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of her tight muscles being loosened.

Suddenly, Naruto stopped.

His hand froze in their position, tenderly holding her feet in place. This did not go unnoticed by Sakura.

"Thank you," she said, withdrawing her feet from his hands, but Naruto still seemed bothered. Leaning towards him, Sakura asked, "Are you okay, Naruto?" He hung his head.

"Sakura-chan." Sakura sat up, attentive. "I want to test something."

Gently, his left hand cupped Sakura's cheek, and for Sakura, time stopped. Leaning forward, his breath caressed her cheek, and so softly she would miss it had she not been so breath taken, his lips brushed over hers, not quite a kiss. The two withdrew, until Sakura looked him in the eyes, telling him it was okay. His lips were upon hers again, more hungry this time. Both his hands held her face, and both her hands held his larger ones. Teeth scraping against his lips once, the boy, almost a man, shuddered. His tongue traced the crease between her lips, drawing out one whimper from her. As his self control fell, so did his hands, to just above her breast.

Sakura remembered.

She broke away, almost confused as to who Naruto was at the moment. The man at the grocery store, others, Sasuke... All of them had touched her like that, and she had despised it. She hated the way they had looked at her, eyes full of lust, hate, and malicious intent.

"S-Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, almost as confused as she was. "I'm sorry! I went too far-"

"No!" Sakura nearly shrieked. Then she let out a whimper. "I'm sorry. You just reminded me of..."

"What?" Naruto asked, then his eyes hardened. "Did someone hurt you? Tell me who he is, I swear I'll-"

"No, Naruto." Sakura sighed shakily, the breath leaving her in quivering wisps. "It happened today. A guy and his friends started harassing me."

"Sakura-chan, just say the word and-"

"Naruto, someone _helped _me."

"Who?" he inquired.

Sakura took one more deep breath and continued, "It was a girl, probably just a little older than me. She had dark, curly hair and blue eyes. She just told them to back off, roughed them up a little, and that was that." She finished, smacking her lips together. "She didn't even tell me her name. She seemed to recognize me though."

Naruto's eyes lit up in a sort of recognition. "I think I saw her, Sakura-chan. Yeah, she was at Baa-chan's office. She was really dirty and bloody, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well, I think she was some sort of refugee. She had some wounds, I think." Sakura's eye lit up in concern.

"If she had just told me, I could have helped her-"

"Well, most pregnant women don't have any chakra. It's a miracle you even have yours. That's probably why she didn't tell you."

Sakura leaned back in her chair and snatched her cake, hacking away at it almost angrily. "But still, I could have helped her bandage them or something-"

"I think she was in trouble, Sakura-chan. Her eyes seemed really guarded and hostile. I bumped into her, and I was scared after I met her eyes. They were really cold."

"Naruto, did you catch her name?"

"No, I didn't see her talk to anyone. Just stay away from that girl, Sakura-chan. She's bad news."

The two friends talked for a bit more, but Naruto announced that he should probably go home. "Do you want me to walk you back?" Sakura inquired.

Naruto looked at her like she was crazy. "Sakura-chan, you're eight months pregnant. Don't be ridiculous! That baby's ready to slide out any minute now." The pink-haired girl slapped his shoulder.

"I'm pregnant, not crippled."

"Still, I'll be fine on my own. See ya later." With a small wave and a one-armed hug, Naruto bounced down the steps, leaving Sakura to stare at his orange back.

Sighing solemnly, she closed the door and locked it.

* * *

Did you guys predict the NaruSaku part? Don't worry; this isn't going to be NaruSakuSasu.

And who was that dirty hobo girl?

Shall we ever know?

Also, would you like me to continue the flashback or continue to storyline first? If I do the storyline first, the flashback will come in sometime, you just may be confused as to what's going on.

A'ight. Peace.

P.S. Review! I like hearing what you guys think! Reviews are chocolate to the soul. Could we get to 345? Honestly, reviews help me with writer's block, knowing that people are waiting on me. And I get writer's block a looooooot.


	14. Things Happened, and the Future is Shaky

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Warning: long chapter, two halves. First half is past, second is present. Thanks to all who reviewed, read, alerted, or faved. Sorry for taking such a long time on this!

* * *

six years ago, after Kenji was born

Life was hard with a newborn baby. He cried incessantly, and Sakura had no idea how to get him to stop, how mommy could make him happy. She was worried, as if this wasn't normal. In the back of her brain, she knew it was, but she couldn't help but worry. What if something was wrong with Kenji? Was he sick? Was he feeling any pain? What if this was a clue to what he might become when he was older, like a psycho axe-killer, or a girly boy who wore purple ropes shaped into bows who killed people regardless?

She preferred the psycho axe-killer, since she didn't want him to be like Sasuke.

She couldn't remember which way diapers went, and sometimes, they fell off at the worst times.

Taking a walk with her new baby Kenji, Sakura hummed lightly as she strolled with the carriage. A woman stopped her. She was plump and happy-looking. She was also in her late fifties, early sixties.

"Oh, what a cute thing! May I hold him?"

Sakura, being the nice girl she was, replied with "of course." The poo-filled diaper promptly fell off when Sakura handed the baby to the woman. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but the woman laughed lightheartedly, not bothered in the least.

"It's your first one," she stated, not asking. The woman demonstrated how to properly put on a diaper and how to clean Kenji so he wouldn't get diaper rash. Sakura thanked her profusely.

"Thank you so much!" she said, bowing deeply. The woman laughed her worries away.

"Don't bow so deeply, Sakura-chan. Oh, look at that red hair!" Back then, Kenji's hair had been a bright, vivid red. There was some controversy as to who his father really was: Gaara or Sasuke. The woman lightly ruffled it. "It's so red and pretty! I know Sasuke didn't have very normal hair so let's hope that it's not hereditary, eh?"

"Yeah," Sakura replied, a smile playing on her lips. This woman knew who the father was, and she was being so kind, unlike everyone else. "But really, thank you. It's...it's hard." Kenji had fallen asleep as she cradled him in her arms, rocking him back and forth. "Not many people are that nice to me. Most of my old friends aren't, anyway. I've tried but-"

The woman waved a hand at Sakura, interrupting her. "Find new friends. If they're treating you like this when you need them most, they were never worth it." Sakura's lower lip trembled. Really? Could she just give up the relationships she had with all those people?

"But I don't know how..." she said truthfully. Was this what it was like for all other single women? People stared at you, made fun of you...hell, even Sakura was guilty of it! Now she understood better. "New friends. Got it. What's your name again?"

"Mrs. Kanzaki, dear. Feel free to call me anytime for anything. This old lady needs some company! I haven't had anything to do since the kids have grown up."

They parted with a wave and phone numbers, and Sakura felt her heart warm.

OOO

A week later, Naruto returned from his solo mission and waited outside Tsunade's office so he could report. There already was a team in there, Neji's team, he believed, returning from a mission as well. Evidently they had a new member, and Naruto was kind of curious as to who it was. He knew it was a replacement for Gai, since the man had gotten a new Genin team. He heard the clack of the door and greeted Neji as he came out. "Hey, man! How's it going?"

Neji shrugged. "I am well. How are you?"

The two boys' conversation was interrupted by a plethora of yelling. Everyone couldn't help but listen.

"You have no right to live in my parents' house! If I had known you would turn out this way, I would have aborted you!"

"You shut the fuck up! You are not my mother, you retarded whore! You didn't even fucking raise me!"

Tsunade eventually started in, yelling just as loud as the two other women, and the group eventually ignored it. Just another mediation where only Tsunade could solve the problem. Eventually, a gorgeous woman came storming out, hissing underneath her breath.

TenTen giggled. "Dirty hobo-girl deserves it. Good thing her mother knows how to handle that bitch."

"TenTen, don't speak of her that way," sighed Neji. " She saved your ass today."

"Doesn't make her any less a bitch." Eventually, this _bitch _came out and shoved into Naruto. He recognized her. That scary girl from a few months ago. He felt a chill run up his spine at the memory, but now he just felt angry.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The girl ignored him and continued on her way. Grumbling, Naruto quickly stomped into Tsunade's office, gave his report, and stomped to Sakura's house. When she opened the door, she gave him the most brilliant smile.

He melted.

"Naruto," Sakura breathed. "It's nice to see that you're back and alive!"

Naruto snorted. "Why wouldn't I be?" He wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against her hairline. "I'm home, Sakura-chan."

She smiled against his shoulder. "Welcome home, Naruto." She gave him a kiss, intending for it to be square on the cheek, but it accidentally brushed the corner of his lips instead. She pulled back instantly, subtly clapping a hand to her lips. Had that been too close? Did Naruto notice? However, the boy seemed unfazed and just continued smiling happily at her. She stepped aside to let him in, and he nodded in appreciation.

"Where's Kenji?" he asked.

"Asleep," Sakura replied, sighing internally. It had been such a long day...

They had settled on the couch together, and Sakura snuggled into his side. She was so happy, so very happy... Naruto had secured his arm around her waist, and she placed her hand on his chest. His heart was palpitating so quickly, she would have thought it would burst had he not been a healthy, sixteen year old boy.

They spent some more time together before announced that he would be departing. Sakura almost asked him if he wanted to stay the night, but she realized that she wasn't ready for that. Yet. Besides, there was no clear cut as to what their relationship was right now. They had shared a passionate kiss over three months ago, but besides that, there was nothing. Sure, there were those little chaste kisses here and there, but nothing serious. He hadn't even asked her on a date, not that she had time anyway. She was too busy taking care of the sweet, cute, little burden.

Finally, the baby started crying again. She knew it would happen eventually. She rushed to him and asked, "Does baby want some milk?" Her only response was more crying. However, when she lifted up her shirt and bra, she could see the infant's eyes brightening. "I guess so!" she laughed, lowering herself to the couch, cradling Kenji in her arms.

The baby started suckling, and Sakura felt some heavy weight being lifted. Her breasts had gotten so heavy these past months, and nursing was almost a relief. However, Kenji bit sometimes, and it hurt like a bitch. She glowed and beamed at her baby, looking at him drink his fill. However, an embarrassed flush came to her face once she saw the obsidian eyes look up to her face, dark as coals of hell.

The last person she had willingly done this with...

She screamed.

Then she dropped the baby.

OOO

Shizune stared at Sakura as she entered the E.R., frantic and crying. She was wailing so uncontrollably that none of the nurses could understand her, and it had been proven impossible to calm to her down. Finally, they called for her big sister figure, Shizune.

Shizune sighed. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"IT'S KENJI!" she shrieked wildly. "I DROPPED HIM ON HIS HEAD. I DROPPED HIM, I DROPPED HIM!" She started moaning and bawling once more, clutching the tiny baby to her chest. What's worse was that the baby was crying and shrieking as well.

Shizune scoffed, almost a laugh. "Sakura, let me see him." Shizune knew in normal circumstances, Sakura would be able to do this herself. However, this was Kenji they were talking about, Sakura's son. All parents became hysterical when it came to their children. Sakura handed him over hesitantly, afraid she might drop him again.

Shizune examined the child. His face was scrunched up, and his tiny hands were clenched into fists in anger. Turning him over, she examined the back of his head. There was a cut and some minor bleeding, even though it seemed like a lot. Head wounds always bled and hurt more. Also, baby's heads were soft and drops like these didn't hurt them as much.

Shizune smiled at Sakura. "Sakura, he's going to be fine. He just needs some stitches." Immediately, Sakura stopped crying.

"Seriously?"

"Yup."

She started up again, probably glad that she didn't kill her son. Shizune snorted.

"I'll call Ino up to keep you some company. Her shift's about to end anyway."

Thirty minutes later, Kenji had come out of surgery, and a teary eyed Sakura took him from the doctor.

"He'll be fine," the man said. "Just come back if anything odd happens. We'll see you later, Sakura-san." Sakura gave him her thanks, bowing deeply and repeatedly. Finally, Ino had to drag her away and bring her home, telling her that she will spend the night with her.

"Really?" Sakura said, cocking her head to the side. "Why so kind?" Ino scoffed.

"Sweetie, you have really bad bags underneath your eyes. You obviously haven't been getting much sleep." Sakura shrugged. She had gotten used to being awake during the night.

"It's fine. Really, Ino."

"No, it's not," the blonde snapped. "I don't want you dropping dead on me. I'll take care of the little bugger tonight. You have no say in this." Sakura let out a low laugh.

"All right, all right. Just wake me up when he starts chomping towards your boobs, and I'll take over."

OOO

Sakura awoke to bright light shining in her eyes. She looked at the morning sun.

Morning? Had she really slept for-she looked at her clock- eight hours? A good eight hours? It seemed too good to be true. She heard faint laughter and immediately shot out of bed. Fun? How could Ino be having fun with the "burden?" It just didn't seem possible.

"Ino? Are you all right?" Sakura asked shrilly. Ino looked at her best friend like she was dumb.

"Of course I'm all right," Ino said in a matter of fact tone. "He just burped up all over my back. It just seemed so funny that..." She burst out laughing again. Sakura removed Kenji from Ino's loving hug.

"Ino, it's not as funny once it happens to you three times a day every day."

The smile fell off of Ino's face. In fact, she looked as if she would begin to cry. She looked down at her hands that closed tightly in her lap. Finally she looked up again, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "Do you not love your son, Sakura?"

Sakura felt like she had been slapped in the face. "I love my son!" she snapped, indignant. "Why on earth would you ask something like that, Ino?" Ino just shook her head sadly. "Ino, answer me!"

"Sakura, you don't seem to be enjoying Kenji very much. You act as if he is a burden. You act is you don't want him."

_That's because it's true,_ the traitorous voice in Sakura's head sneered.

"I do not act like that!" Sakura cried. "You wouldn't understand. I don't have anyone to help me, Ino!"

"Then ask me for help!" Ino cried out. "Every time I offer or Naruto offers, you turn us down! How are we supposed to help you when you keep rejecting us? You're pushing us all away. Do you really want Kenji to grow up like this?"

"It doesn't matter how Kenji grows up!" Sakura yelled. "I can't do this, Ino! I can't! My life is terrible because of him. He causes me so much misery-"

"There you go again, feeling sorry for yourself!" Ino stomped her foot on the ground in anger, almost hissing violently. "You've always been like this, Sakura. When things get bad, you feel sorry for yourself and give up on everything. Even your own goddamn son. Well, you know what? If you don't want him, I'll take him. I'll take care of him, and I'll be his mom. Because God knows that I love him more than you do." That was it. Sakura had had it. If that was Ino wanted, that was what Ino would get.

"Fine, Ino. Fine. You take him and see how hard life is. Then you'll see how hard it is to be me," Sakura snapped back. "Take his stuff with you and leave."

So Ino did just that.

Sakura never looked at her and never regretted it.

OOO

It was her first day back at training since getting pregnant. She had already started working out like crazy this week. She had had time since the baby was with Ino. Her life was already infinitely more relaxing. Finally, Tsunade-shishou arrived at the training grounds, and Sakura's face brightened.

"Shishou!" she called out, waving her hand. Tsunade let her lips curl up at the sight of her precious student's happy face, but today, they needed to help her improve. Sakura wanted to get to ANBU status in a month. In less than a month, in fact. ANBU exams were coming up. Her student had acquired a renewed determination and motivation. She had heard about Kenji going to live with Ino. Ino had had a bit of trouble the first couple of weeks at her shifts at the hospital, but she continued working and was doing fine now. This was probably why Sakura had time and energy to come to training. Tsunade's brow furrowed. This girl... after ANBU examinations, she would give this girl a thorough talking to. And probably a beating. Or three.

"All right, Sakura. Let's begin."

For the next three weeks, they did nothing but train. Sakura would awake bright and early at five a.m. every day, eat a healthy breakfast, then head to training ground three where she would stretch and jog a quick lap. Shishou would come at six on the dot, and they would train till seven at night. Sakura had lost all her pregnancy weight and was now sporting a fit, trim body. She wondered if Naruto would like it and started to giggle to herself in a girlish fashion. They hadn't seen each other for a month; he was training with Jiraiya for the examinations as well, and they hadn't had time to think about each other. Sakura would be honest; her feelings for him went well beyond friendship now. She had known that for years Naruto had been pining for her, but she had just not been able to see what good a relationship with him could make her feel, how she wanted HIM to feel good and not necessarily in the physical sense. He also made her forget about that night.

However, she always felt an emptiness in her heart. She knew that only Kenji could ever fill that hole; no relationship would ever fill it completely. It plunged through her and simply got deeper and deeper as more time passed. She hated to admit it, but Ino was right. Sakura was almost always selfish and felt sorry for herself when the going got tough. If she could just bring herself to admit it Ino...she wanted her son back. Desperately. She needed him more than he needed her. She knew Ino would probably make a better mother than she would, but Sakura needed Kenji for as long as she lived. How could she get everything back? She wanted to mend her relationship with Ino, and she wanted to be a better mother. How could she do it?

Well, she'd just worry about everything after the ANBU examinations...

She dodged one of Tsunade's full powered punches, side-stepping it easily. She was truly surprised at how fast she could do it. They had been working with weights for the full three weeks and now that they were off...she had felt so much freer. She swept her feet at level with Tsunade's ankles, tripping the older woman. She missed the smile that came to her Shishou's lips.

They continued sparring for a full thirty minutes, hiding when necessary, using sneak attacks, and any other things that came to their mind. When they were done, Sakura was panting. Tsunade's kunai was lightly pressed against her neck, marking the end of the battle. Tsunade's lips curled up.

"Good," she huffed, smiling widely at her. "You're ready."

Sakura's eye widened. "B-but you were going easy on me and I-"

Tsunade cut her off. "Nuh-uh. Believe it or not, ANBU or not gods. Yes, I was going easy on you, but you don't often come across kage level ninja. It just doesn't happen. Also, it's ridiculous to stay in combat for thirty minutes straight. That usually only happens when both people are being careful to not kill each other, like we are. Still, using that level of chakra for that amount of time is impressive, Sakura. I fully believe you're ready." She patted her pupil's roughly. She was an advocate of tough love, after all.

Sakura beamed at her instructor.

OOO

ANBU exams had gone by without a hitch. In a week, they'd figure out how they did. Sakura felt confident but had to remind herself not to feel too depressed if she didn't make it. It had been a good and useful experience anyway.

She headed over to Ino's house, planning to beg for forgiveness.

Her best friend had taken care of her child for a whole five weeks. Sakura needed to be reunited with Kenji and Ino right now. She still hadn't come up with a strategy yet, but she didn't care. She just needed to apologize. Even if Ino didn't forgive her, Sakura would feel a weight lifted off her chest.

Hesitating a little bit, she knocked the door to Ino's house lightly. A voice called, "Coming!" Sakura soon found herself face to face with Ino's mother. Mrs. Yamanaka gave Sakura a warm smile. "Come on in, Sakura."

Soon after, the two girls were heard sobbing and shortly after, the baby.

Sakura went home with her baby that night. She cooed at Kenji and tickled his nose, making him giggle madly. He grabbed onto her fingers and put one in his mouth. Sakura nearly melted.

She rocked in her chair for a few more minutes, and Kenji surprisingly fell asleep quite quickly. He snored a little bit, and Sakura just found it adorable. About an hour later, someone knocked at the door. She set the precious boy in his cradle and placed a kiss on his forehead. Then she went to answer the door.

Naruto.

"Naruto," she breathed happily, welcoming him with open arms. "Come in, come in!" she ushered, waving him in eagerly. He took off his shoes gingerly and placed them straight and parallel on the doormat.

"How did you do on the ANBU exams?" she asked cheerfully, going off to prepare him some tea.

"It went surprising well. It was easier than I thought!" he cheered, walking in to the living room, only to find Kenji in there. "You got him back? I thought you didn't want him anymore," Naruto mumbled.

"I need him," she called back softly. "I really need him," she whispered to herself.

She sat down beside Naruto on the couch, handing him a cup of tea. She breathed in his scent and instantly felt refreshed. It was like standing in a meadow after the rain had passed. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a sip from her cup. She exhaled in contentment.

"I'm happy," she told Naruto. "I'm happy that I have Kenji, I'm happy that I have Ino, and I'm happy that you're here with me," she whispered in his ear, lips brushing the shell of his ear, and Naruto visibly shuddered in something akin to torture and pleasure.

"Sakura, you have to know what that does to me-" He saw the grin on her face.

"Naruto, of course I do. Why do you think I did it?" she said mischievously.

"Sakura, I don't think you're ready for... for..."

"Sex?" she finished for him. "Of course I'm not. But...I'm ready for less than that. I think I will be able to tell you apart from **him** this time."

"But-"

"Naruto," Sakura interjected. "Shut up. Just kiss me already."

So he did.

His lips slanted over hers, and the pink-haired medic responded eagerly, threading her fingers into his hair. The coarse tresses scraped against her tender hands, and she was surprised to find that it actually felt good. His hands cupped her face, and he deepened the kiss as she moaned into his mouth. Her hands slid up and down his chest in an enticing way, and Naruto didn't know how much more he could take. He abruptly stood up and said, "I think I've had enough for tonight. I'm going home, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura gaped at him dumbly as he exited the apartment hastily.

She turned to the sleeping babe. "Was that very normal, Kenji?" She then smiled and rested her face on the palms of her hands. "Would you like Naruto to be your daddy, Kenji? I think you'd enjoy that very much. Naruto would be a great daddy, wouldn't he?" she sighed sleepily, eventually turning into a yawn. It had been such a long day... ANBU examinations had taken five hours, she had made up with Ino, she had gotten her son and her heart back, and she had...entertained Naruto for a while. It was most definitely time to get a well deserved nap. Wanting to be in close proximity with her son for the whole night, Sakura grabbed the comforter from her room and wrapped herself up in it like a cape. Giggling to herself, she pretended it was one and that she was a superhero, gliding in the imaginary skies. She curled into a ball while rocking the cradle gently, back and forth and back and forth, lulling her son and herself to sleep.

OOO

Kenji was now four months. He didn't cry as much, and he was able to sit up by himself now. He also enjoyed dragging himself on his belly. He was generally a very happy baby, and that made Sakura happy as well, since she was getting more sleep. She now realized that she could have toughed it out had she not been feeling so sorry for herself. It was hard work, yes, fatiguing, really, but not impossible. He was getting heavier, but it was still quite easy to carry him since he was so small. He was only about sixteen pounds, after all.

Carrying him to the ANBU headquarters, she scurried along to find her name on the score board. She dragged her finger to her name, she found that she had made an eighty-seven out of one hundred. She felt a little disappointed at first, but she found that the highest scorer had been a person named "Shinora Jin," and that person had only made a ninety-five. The rest had been ninety and under. However, Sakura's lips stretched into a smile as she made her way to the next column entitled "Overall."

In that column and in the row of her name, it said, "Pass." Sakura let out a victory whoop, Kenji giggled along with her.

Skimming the rows quickly, she found Naruto's name. With a sort of satisfaction, she had found that he had only scored a seventy-nine. He still passed, thankfully.

The great thing about the examinations was that they didn't judge you on how powerful you were, they judged you on skill. Skill was more useful since on a battlefield, a stray shuriken could bring down a powerful opponent with lots of chakra as easily as it could bring down a child. If you had skill but little chakra, you could still dodge that shuriken.

On the billboard, there were some handouts, and Sakura perused them quickly, snatching one from the hook. There would be a meeting on the upcoming Tuesday for all who had passed at six o'clock. There, they would determine if you would be put on a team or if a new team would have to be constructed. Thus you would be put on the waiting list or would act as substitute member of a team until that member was healthy enough to come back. All ANBU members would be there, including the ones that had passed the test before and were already on teams.

She thought to TenTen and shivered.

That girl, for lack of better words, was just downright mean. Ever since Neji had nearly died trying to retrieve Sasuke from the clutches of Orochimaru -that he willingly went to himself- she reminded herself. Over the past couple of months, she had realized that nothing she could have said or done could have stopped Sasuke. He was too hungry for power, and she could understand that. His brother had killed his entire family, leaving only him behind, whispering seductive words of hate and lust for power in his little brother's ear. Sasuke had listened to him. Sakura couldn't blame him.

However, that didn't mean she couldn't hate him for it.

OOO

Life went on quickly, and Tuesday came even faster than that. She arranged for Kenji to stay at Ino's house for the evening and set out for ANBU headquarters with a brisk pace, eager to find out what her fate would be. She arrived at the headquarters and found about thirty other people there. She made idle conversation with an elderly man, who was surprisingly still in ANBU despite looking so frail. He told her of all the adventures he had while he was in ANBU and although he was still healthy and fit, he would be retiring. He had served for forty years and since he was reaching his seventies. Sakura found it amazing that he still was so dedicated to serving the village while being so old. She wished she could be that way someday.

He escorted her like a proper gentleman up the stairs to the conference room where the meeting would be held. He was only going to be there for technicalities and such, but he told her that the meetings were always somewhat exciting. There were about fifty chairs in the room with a podium in front of the set, and they parted their ways when Sakura saw a friend of hers. Well, she saw Lee. He was mostly a friend, although he was still a bit hung up on her.

"Sakura-san!" he cried out, overly zealous. "Come sit by me, Sakura-san!" Sakura smiled at him and complied. "Well, how have you been doing, Sakura-san? How is Kenji? Is he blossoming with youth?"

Sakura chuckled. "Yes, Kenji is blossoming with youth, and I'm good." Lee beamed at Sakura, teeth white and shiny.

"I am so proud of you! You overcame all odds and passed the examinations!" he shouted. Sakura leaned on one hand and gave him a crooked smile.

"How have you been doing, Lee?" she asked.

"I have been well! The team has been a little lonely without Gai-sensei, but I will manage to pull through this! Youth!" he cried, punching a fist through the air. Sakura sweated a bit, almost a little embarrassed. She was too used to it to be embarrassed. She just wished Lee knew how he sounded. "However, our new teammate is all right as well. She is a bit strange, though. Always...filthy," he said, crinkling his nose as if he knew the scent by memory.

Sakura furrowed her brows. "Doesn't she ever shower?"

Lee shook his head sadly. "I think not. The poor girl; I think she's homeless. Phenomenal kunoichi, though. She is a medic-nin for our team, but she's not as good as you in the area though. Technically, she's not supposed to be on our team, but Tsunade made an exception for her."

"What's her name?"

"Oh, it is Shinora Jin!" Sakura remembered. That girl had gotten the highest score on the ANBU exams. "Unfortunately, TenTen does not like her. It must be because she draws much attention from Neji because of her skill! TenTen is jealous, a bad quality of hers that always shows up when another catches Neji's eye. It is disappointing."

Finally, more and more people poured in the room, filling it to capacity. Neji and TenTen had sat next to the pair, Neji giving Sakura a warm greeting and TenTen giving her a blazing glare. Naruto and Sakura spotted each other and waved simultaneously.

The head of ANBU entered the room with several scrolls and papers in hand, followed by a few of his subordinates. He looked stern with a set jaw but appeared to be kind. Sakura could see it in his eyes. He cleared his throat and tapped the microphone on the podium. "Is everyone paying attention?" The room became silent at once. "Very well, let's begin. We'll start with roll call for the newbies." Everyone could tell who was knew because they saw that each of them had straightened their spines to seem presentable. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Here."

"Asano Kite."

"Present."

"Haruno Sakura."

"Right here."

"Jin isn't here," he said without missing a beat, scanning the room quickly. "Arashi Hanzo?"

"I'm over here." He continued for twenty more seconds before handing the list to one of the subordinates. "I am pleased to say that Hakamura Baono-san is finally retiring." Bursts of laughter erupted around the room. Baono waved his hand, and the head of ANBU smiled ruggedly. "Get out of here, you old man. Also, I am equally pleased to announce that out of all these fourteen new people, one has proven to be eligible to be a captain, who is ironically the only one not present today," he clucked his tongue. "Asano Kite and Furaku Koichi are assigned to ANBU team seven. "Arashi Hanzo, Heiya, and Suzuki Tohya are assigned to ANBU team three. Fukaya Teri is placed on ANBU team two. Hashi Sozo is assigned to ANBU team one. The rest of you are on the waiting list until we figure out what to do with you." Murmurs and groans filled the room. The head of ANBU rolled his eyes. "Don't complain. Maybe someone will get injured, and you can take their place. Amateurs." All the experienced ANBU members laughed. It would happen sooner or later. Except Neji. Because he never laughed.

Sakura felt a little disappointed that she wouldn't be on a team immediately, but she could wait. Besides, she thought fondly, she had her beautiful son to take care of. She and Naruto shared a glance, and Naruto shrugged his shoulders in acceptance.

After the meeting was done, people started leaving the conference room, but Sakura was stopped by the ANBU head. "Haruno Sakura," he said grinning. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He stuck out his hand.

"Oh no," she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. "The pleasure is mine."

The man grinned at her. "They say a handshake defines on character. You've certainly gotten stronger."

Sakura smiled wistfully. "I don't know about that, but thank you."

"I have heard that you are a phenomenal medic-nin. Don't prove me wrong now."

"I'll try not to let you down."

"Good, good. So, Haruno. How would you feel about being on a team with Shinora Jin?" Sakura was befuddled by the question.

"Erm...I don't really know! I've heard things about her, but we haven't been introduced."

"The girl is a horror. She exists to piss people off and pretty much fucks up any relationship she has, excuse my French. Well, her French is even worse. Swears all the time. Nasty attitude. Great ninja, though."

"I've heard that as well."

"Well, as you've probably heard already, she and TenTen do not get along. It often compromises the mission. Jin's good enough to be captain so I want to move her off the team. What do you think about it?"

"Well, with all due respect, sir, I think I can manage."

"That's a girl.

OOO

present time

"Sakura-san?" Itachi asked, sitting next to her at the table and calling her out of her reverie. "What has happened with Kenji? He just stormed out of the house and is currently murdering my best practice dummy."

Sakura sighed, exhausted. "He found out who Daddy was. He's mad that I didn't tell him."

Itachi mimicked her sigh and slumped his shoulders a bit. It was obvious that this was very distressing to him. Sakura remembered the first time she had seen him. There were stress lines on his face, bags underneath his red, spinning eyes. He looked so menacing, so evil.

So tired.

She had always thought that, though she hadn't told anyone besides her "roommate" from two years ago. Stopping herself before she went through another memory before her eyes, Sakura raised her eyes to Itachi. The man had lifted his head and started staring into space, a blank look plastered on his face.

A pained look in his eyes.

He began to speak. "He will find out that I am a monster," Itachi said softly. Sakura's face went slack, tired of frowning. "He... he will react much differently than Sasuke. He will ask questions." Sakura nodded once. "It is of great importance that you explain everything to him. If you do not, the boy...he will break. Maybe not at once, but he will lose himself. He may not understand now, but he will."

Sakura stood up and took a deep, calming breath. The calm before the storm.

She had no choice but to talk to Kenji.

OOO

Gently, she trotted along the hallways, not wishing to make too loud of noises. Who knew, maybe someone was still sleeping or something. She heard a noise and stopped in her tracks.

_Was that...moaning?_

The sound came again. _Yeah, that was definitely moaning. _A flurry of curses followed soon after and a muffled scream. Sakura's face blazed like a fire, and she tried to block out the nasty images. The fact that she knew who the girl was... well, that just made it all the more awkward. Sakura was still the little virgin at heart, after all. She had had sex only once! Sure, there were instances when it _almost _happened again...It wasn't even fun; no pleasure was gained out of it. But that... Shaking her head, she put the thoughts into the back of her head for a later conversation with her former captain.

With a sigh, she discovered Kenji doing sit-ups quite vigorously, grunting as he did a set of twenty-five. The poor boy was flushed underneath the burning sun, and little shades of scarlet were popping up over his nose and cheeks, sweat dripping down his temples. A wave of motherly concern Sakura couldn't suppress crashed over her. What if he got sunburn? Each time one got sunburn, the risk for skin cancer increased by one percent! What if Kenji got sunburn a hundred times?

"Kenji, come inside! You know how your skin will get if you stay out there too long." Kenji looked at his mother.

Then he stuck out his tongue.

Then he continued his sit-ups. Sakura sighed wearily, rubbing her temples roughly. Why did raising children have to be so difficult? Of course, he couldn't always listen to her, since she wasn't always right, but right now was not the time to be giving her the cold shoulder!

"Haruno...no, Uchiha Kenji! You get your damn ass in this house this instant!"

Kenji stopped and stared. "What did you call me?"

" It is actually your legal name, the one on your birth certificate. You already know, right? If so, then it's useless to hide it from you any longer. Now we need to talk, and you can't run away from me this time!"

Kenji's face set. Then he ran.

Hell, that didn't mean he couldn't try.

Sakura screamed in frustration. "KENJI!"

OOO

Kenji was afraid.

Well, it was only natural. Kenji was only brave when it came to his mother, and he was only cowardly when it came to his mother. That's why it nearly made him pee his pants when she started chasing him. She was maybe a foot taller than him, and she had super strength.

It always hurt when she spanked him.

"No, no! I'm not- I'm definitely not going to talk to you, you meanie!" Kenji roared, turning to offense. "You lied to me! LIAR!"

Performing the hand signs for the Great Fireball Jutsu, he sucked in a lungful of air and blew. Grunting in anger, Sakura stepped to the side of the flame easily, knowing Kenji's aim sucked. The boy, frightened and out of chakra, cowered backwards and put his hands at his sides, clenched into fists. He screamed at his mother, cursing her, and he put up the pretense of being brave so well that eventually he believed it himself. "Leave me alone!" he finally screamed, slapping away a hand that was reaching toward his shoulder.

Sakura drew the wounded (not really) hand back and just smiled.

Like, really smiled.

Narrowing her eyes like a cat and lips curling slightly in the corners, she agreed with an, "Okay."

Kenji could not believe his ears.

"Wait... what?"

"You heard me. Go ahead and go out on your own. You obviously don't need me." She crossed her arms impatiently. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"F-fine!" Kenji stuttered. "Just you wait and see! I'll be fine on my own, dummy!" He then went off into the forest.

Sighing dejectedly, Sakura made a shadow clone and ordered it to keep an eye on her son as she went back to the house.

* * *

Have a nice day. Yet again, sorry for taking so long to update. I suck. Forgive me please.

By the way, I have two new stories out! They're both ItaSaku and I know that might not be for you, but for all who don't mind it, you should go read them.

Peace, y'all.


	15. Two Countries May Clash

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

Sorry, it's really short!

* * *

"How'd that go?" Itachi asked Sakura once she came in through the house.

"Lovely, I suppose, considering she came back without her son," an unfamiliar man said.

"Be quiet, Saobi."

Sakura was baffled. She could for the life of her remember who this man was or where she had seen him before. Oh, she had seen him in the hallway a night before. His curly red hair was the only thing she remembered and...

...she could smell the Mizukage and sex all over him. It was wafting off of him in waves, and Sakura almost swooned and blushed; luckily, she had more self control than that.

The man smiled mischievously. "Looks like we have another person who is awkward about sex here." He looked straight at Itachi, and Itachi pointedly ignored him.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess I am. I mean, I've had foreplay, and I've had intercourse but never in one night."

This "Saobi" burst out laughing. "Wow, I have never heard anyone say anything like that. You poor, depraved girl." By now, Itachi's face was flaming red, and he covered his face with his hands.

The door opened and Haruna called out, "Once I farted at the end of sex, and Itachi couldn't be in the same room as me for another two hours." Everyone really started laughing at Itachi. Sakura almost felt bad for him. Almost.

* * *

"I see that you have failed, Sasuke," Orochimaru said, smiling. "This is rather surprising." Sasuke, down on one knee and head bowed, kept a stony exterior and hardened eyes. "If I am correct, this is the first mission you have ever failed."

"Yes, it is, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied smugly, knowing that now Sasuke knew what everyone else felt. He deserved it.

"I see you have also brought someone with you," the snake-like man hissed, grinning malevolently.

The black bearded man guffawed and pounded the head of his covered spear into the ground. "I am Rudy Fallenhaust. Nice to meet you, Orochimaru."

"You are a professional assassin?"

"Well, a profession mercenary is what I like to be called more, Orochimaru."

Kabuto's face scrunched up a bit in anger. "You will treat him with respect."

"Why, what's he gonna do to me, eh? Kill me? Nice way to show gratitude after bringin' his prized student back here."

"Why you-"

"Kabuto, be calm," Orochimaru rasped. "We should offer our guest a room for the night. What did you say your name was again?"

"Rudy Fallenhaust."

"Rudy...you stay here and talk with me. Kabuto, Sasuke, you are dismissed."

Sasuke gave a curt bow and left immediately, not wanting to see that disgusting face anymore. He had to put it off, killing that snake. He still needed more power to kill Itachi...

Thinking of the man, he slammed his fist against the wall in pain, an emotion he had not felt in so long in this disgusting palace. All of a sudden, all his emotions were resurfacing, and he had no idea why. When he had first come here, he had been so determined. He had even shoved back the times, the happy times with his family, only allowing himself to feel anger and hate. Why were all these emotions coming back to him?

It hurt. It hurt so much that he felt he would cry, something he had not done in so long. When was the last time...when he was nine years old, perhaps. Crying was a foolish activity of the weak, he reminded himself. Sasuke was not weak.

Or was he?

* * *

Naruto had only met the mizukage once. She had reminded him of a certain someone, and due to that, he hated her with a passion. The hatred had resurfaced in powerful waves, and he suddenly had found it hard not to attack her.

She had that same haughty smile as her, the same annoying laugh, the same pattern of speech, the same mighty attitude, and he had wanted to rip her head off. She had teased him coyly, the way that bitch always had. He had still made an alliance, but he did not like the Mizukage at all.

Now, he just found out that she had been ordering various weapons from different countries, but not a single one from Konoha. All in all, she had ordered over a hundred thousand weapons, even some from sound. Also, she had not divulged any information as to where Sakura-chan was, though Naruto was positive that she knew. She was keeping secrets from him about his shinobi, his Sakura-chan, and she was mass ordering weapons. Was this woman crazy? Was she planning to go to war with Konoha?

Because if that was so, Naruto would gladly oblige.

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews guys! I'm going to try and update in a week. :) I'm working on it right now. My life has just become so busy. But I think I can do it!

This story is dragging on so long. And guess what? There are like, thirty more chapter to go. :O You excited? I am...kind of. :P

Thanks for reading!


	16. But Perhaps, Siblings May Reconcile

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Sakura's heart stopped when Haruna brought her daughter in to the room. She mentally squealed. Okay, maybe she really squealed.

"She's adorable!" Sakura said, rushing over to Haruna. The older woman smiled.

"We named her Takara," Haruna voiced proudly. "She really is our treasure."

"I can see why," Sakura replied with a grin. Haruna nodded to her then motioned for her to sit down on the floor with her.

"Torino, come sit with us!" Haruna called out. Her younger sister was in the other room sharpening her spear.

"Later, I'm busy! But I'm listening so go ahead and talk!" Haruna sighed and mumbled underneath her breath grumpily. However, she quickly became cheerful again.

"So," Haruna started, handing off her daughter to Sakura, not missing that Sakura's eyes lit up. "What has been going on for the past few months? We heard you were in some big trouble."

Sakura felt a twisting in her stomach and couldn't help but think of Sasuke.

"Well, it's been interesting...that's for sure." And Sakura spilled. Everything. She knew that she shouldn't have told Haruna all of it, especially the...slightly embarrassing situations that she and Sasuke had found themselves in. However, Haruna was the first female that she felt she could talk to openly for a while. After all, she had been deprived of girl talk for months now. She was grateful that Haruna had listened the whole time, though her jaw dropped inch by inch with each detail of the story.

"Oh, God. He's hurt?" Haruna finally blurted out, nearly dropping Takara. "Shit." She paused. "I have to stop swearing." Sakura giggled at that. She remembered how hard it was for her to stop swearing. Now, the other one...

"Sakura, do not let Itachi know." Sakura was called out of her reverie.

"What?" she asked dumbly. "Why?"

"I know him. Saobi and I were on his team when we were young. It's a wonder that we're still in touch today, but...when Itachi loves somebody, he'll do anything in his power to protect them." She licked her lips." Itachi will go after him if he knows. He loves Sasuke too much to let go. I don't blame him. I love Torino too. I'd do almost anything for her. However, there's a big difference. My sister doesn't want to kill me. "

"Debatable!" called out the young woman in the next room.

Haruna ignored her and paused once more, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I don't want anything else to happen to him." Taking one of Sakura's hands, she whispered, "Please. You have to promise me. I will tell him myself. Just do not tell Itachi."

Sakura, uncomfortable with the tense emotion, nodded. "I promise." Haruna closed her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, Sakura. It means a lot." Suddenly, Sakura came to a realization.

"Where's Kenji?" she asked, a bit panicked. "I thought he would have come back by now."

"What? He's not home?" Torino screeched. She came stomping into the room with her newly sharpened weapon.

Sakura stood quickly. "I'm going to go get him." Torino wouldn't let her, though. She put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and forced her down.

"I'll get him. You stay here and keep talking with Haruna." She sheathed her spear. "I'll be back soon." Then she took off. The clacking of high-heels resonated in Sakura's mind.

It was so familiar. It reminded her of home, of Tsunade walking quickly down the hallways of the Hokage tower, of Ino preparing for dates, of her wearing high-heels for the first time since she was pregnant. Absentmindedly, Sakura rubbed her feet.

It also reminded her of Naruto.

* * *

"Oh my God, Sakura! You look so pretty!" Ino squealed. Sakura's cheeks flamed pink.

"It's not that great."

"No, seriously! You look hot! Naruto's going to be all over you tonight." Ino winked at Sakura and giggled. The young medic just rolled her eyes. It was just a sundress.

"We're just getting dinner."

"Alone," Ino said.

"At that new restaurant."

"Alone," Ino chirped in, walking toward Kenji's crib.

"Without Kenji!"

"You're going to be alone!" Ino reminded her, making silly faces at Kenji, making him laugh hysterically. "Sakura, you even made out a couple months ago, okay?" Sakura frowned at her friend.

"I was pregnant!" she bit out, fixing her hair.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything!" she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I think he likes me better when I was fat!"

"What?" Ino screeched.

"He wouldn't kiss me the other night. He just said, "I've had enough," and left! He looked disgusted with me."

"No, that's not true, and you know it," snapped Ino. "You're gorgeous."

Sakura moaned sadly. "It is true, and I do know it." Her friend scowled at her until she heard a knocking at the door. She smiled at Sakura haughtily.

"Well, he showed up even though you're not fat, right?" Sakura pouted at Ino. "Now, go on. Get! I'm having some quality time with my godson!"

Sakura beamed at that comment. "You have fun with him, okay? Don't hesitate to get me if he wants to eat."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Sakura walked over to Kenji's crib, and her eyes softened. Leaning over her son, she reached toward him and traced a line down his chubby cheek. "Mommy will be back soon, okay?"

"Ubababa!" Kenji said. The corner of Sakura's lips curled up. She bent over and placed a soft kiss on the crown of his head.

"Bye-bye."

"No bye for me, forehead girl?"

Sakura ignored Ino's comment and headed toward the door. Checking her purse, she made sure she had all she needed, especially since it was that time of month. "Bye, Ino!" She rotated the door handle, and once she did, she nearly lost her breath. God, he looked handsome.

Naruto glanced over Sakura once. "You look nice," he said in a monotone voice, turning around to walk away. Sakura immediately became a little angry.

"Hello to you too," she grumbled, shutting the door behind her.

They ended up going to a very high end restaurant. Like, five stars. Sakura's jaw dropped when she had initially saw it.

"Are you sure you can afford this? I can't..." Sakura grumbled.

Naruto just shrugged. "Don't worry about it; I'll take care of everything."

Sakura gaped at his back as he started to enter the restaurant. What did that mean, he'd take care of everything? Why couldn't he just tell her what he was doing? She swore, he was acting just like-

Sakura gulped.

"Just like Sasuke..." she said breathily. A sigh escaped Sakura's lips. Was that what he was trying to do? She bet Naruto thought that if he acted more like Sasuke, they'd have more of a chance together. However, he was wrong. The last person Sakura wanted was Sasuke. She already had had his kid, and bless Kenji's little, cute bottom, but Sasuke wasn't the person she had wanted to have a kid with. At least not now. She didn't regret having Kenji, though. She loved her son more than anything. She'd die for him if needed. She wanted Kenji to have a father. She had hoped Naruto would be that father, not some wacky Sasuke wannabe.

Naruto walked up to the pretty, blonde hostess-who had given him a sultry smile- and whispered something in her ear. The woman's eyes gleamed, and her red painted mouth stretched into a devious smile. "Right this way, sir."

Naruto looked back to Sakura and motioned for her to follow him. Sakura did, albeit begrudgingly. Was he just pretending that he didn't notice that she was upset or was he really that oblivious to her feelings?

She watched his broad back with the eyes of a hawk, and she ignored the looks that the young hostess was giving the tall, blonde man. Well, not really. She was eyeing the two with nearly murderous intent. They were smiling and laughing about something together, and she saw the girl playfully swat at Naruto's arm and boisterously laugh at something he said.

Sakura was pissed.

* * *

Sorry this took so long. I can't promise it'll get better than spontaneously updating. Next chapter, I'm going to continue with the flashback and finish it up with that. It'll delve a little bit into the present. Might be very long and will probably have to split it up into two or three chapters.


	17. something suspicious is going on

This is an eventual SasukexSakura. Rated M for descriptions of violence and language. Very little graphic sexual content.

The story is accurate up to chapter 238 of the manga and contains spoilers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

"Sakura, it was nice to have you accompany me tonight," Naruto said, not even looking at her. Sakura sighed in defeat. She knew it; he was trying to be another Sasuke. It was attractive when she was thirteen...but certainly not now. She liked Naruto as he was; why couldn't he understand that?

He started walking off to his own house. "Wait!" Sakura growled, her fists clenching. Naruto nonchalantly stopped. "No, look at me," she demanded. The man slowly turned around.

"Do you really think I like this?" she asked incredulously. "It was cute when we were younger, but for god's sake, Naruto! I'm almost eighteen! I've gotten past that." She huffed in frustration. "It's time that you got past it, too."

Then she walked away.

* * *

This was the day, Sakura reflected. Kenji was now two years old. The boy cooed in her arms, and she placed a wet, sloppy kiss on his forehead. Ino smiled down at the boy she considered a nephew.

"He's absolutely adorable."

Kenji had started to walk and babble. Sakura got quite a bit of exercise, not anything strenuous, of course. Kenji just ran around the house all day, really. It was more frustrating than anything else, but Sakura wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey," Ino chirped. "Have you and Naruto made up yet?" Sakura shook her head sadly, tickling her son and causing him to giggle madly.

"Mama!" he screeched in glee, placing an open mouthed kiss on her cheek.

"He's...being moody. He's acting EXACTLY like Sasuke, except worse. I can't fathom why he thought this was a good idea."

"Mama, cake?" Kenji asked, his wide eyes glimmering innocently at her. Sakura sighed in resignation.

"Fine, fine!" Sakura beamed at her son. He'd only had two tantrums today; so far, so good.

Over the past few months, Sakura had done a few odd jobs around ANBU. She'd be the replacement member or the emergency medic. Each time, she'd leave Kenji in Ino's capable hands. She looked fondly at her son, but her face turned grim. Tomorrow, they'd be meeting their new team. That meant she would have to spend less and less time with Kenji. She'd probably have to enroll him in a daycare. Excited as she was at the aspect of meeting her team, she dreaded how the people would treat the son of a traitor.

She grimaced.

* * *

Sakura arrived early at the training grounds and was surprised to see another shinobi there. He had dark inky eyes which were currently skimming the pages of a rather thick book. Sakura peeked at the title. It was called, "The Science of Friendship."

Sakura nearly rolled her eyes. People really read books like that? It seemed a bit ridiculous, but hey, she couldn't really judge. She had once read a book instructing her how to catch the man of her dreams. It didn't work out so well.

"Are you..." she started to ask, but when the man looked up at her, she gasped. The resemblance was uncanny. This boy looked like Sasuke. Smiling at her, he closed his book and extended his hand. Sakura got unpleasant chills from the smile. It was so...

"Hello, are you Haruno Sakura-san? I am Sai," he introduced himself, the eerie smile still on his face. Sakura tentatively took his hand and shook it.

"Yes, I'm Sakura. It's nice to meet you." She tried to smile, but it seemed impossible. His was so chilling.

"My book says when one tries to make friends, they should assign them a nickname."

"Sai, that really isn't necessary," she said with a weary look on her face, waving the suggestion off.

"I guess my plan of naming you 'Ugly' won't work out so well."

Sakura just sighed. Earlier in her life, she probably would have exploded in anger, but now, it just seemed unnecessary and dangerous. After all, she was going to have to work with this man, and it wouldn't do to make him have negative feelings towards her.

"Are you the only one here so far?" she asked instead.

"I believe so," Sai told her, the smile still present on his face. Then the two of them sat quietly for a while, not paying the other any attention. Soon enough, Sakura felt a presence coming towards her and stood, awaiting the other member of their team.

It was a fairly young woman with tangled, dark hair that went down to her bottom. She looked fairly normal, besides the fact that she was dirty and slightly greasy. Suddenly, Sakura recognized her. It was the woman from a couple years ago who had saved her from the would-be molesters.

"Yo," she drawled, yawning loudly. "I'm Jin. I'm your captain." She looked at Sai and Sakura. "Who's missing?"

"Naruto," Sakura replied, feeling her chest tighten a bit. They were still uncomfortable with each other, and she had no idea how to remedy it. Of course, she took some fault in it but really! Naruto shouldn't have acted so immaturely.

Jin shrugged. "That's cool." She then sat and began to braid her dirty, tangled hair. "Let's get started anyway. Introduce ourselves. Get to know each other better." She pointed at Sakura. "You. Start."

Sakura nodded. "I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm eighteen, and I have a son named Kenji, who turned two yesterday. Kakashi was my sensei when I was a genin."

"Hatake?" asked Jin. Sakura gave a curt nod. Jin then turned to Sai. "Your turn."

"I am called Sai. I am transferring from another unit. I am attempting to learn about friendship."

"Cool. Okay, it's five past. Where's this Naturo-"

"Naruto," corrected Sakura.

"Right. Naruto."

Speaking of the devil, Naruto came jogging over the hill, sweating profusely. "Sorry!" he bellowed, quickening his pace. He finally reached the group. "I had to run a quick errand for Ero-"

"Whatever." Jin cut him off. "Are you Natoru?"

"Naruto," he said, scowling at her.

"Right. Well, Naruto, it's your turn to share about yourself."

"Are you serious?"

She gave him a frustrated look. "Of course I am. Sit your dumb ass down."

He begrudgingly obeyed and said a couple things about himself. Sai smiled at Naruto and said something about how the hyperactive boy didn't have a penis. Naruto filled up with rage and started yelling, and the two soon got in a fist fight. Neither Jin or Sakura bothered to stop them.

"Hey, Sakura," Jin said, picking her nose. "Can I use your shower?"

* * *

Sakura had allowed her new team captain to use her shower and was now searching for clothes for the young woman to wear. At first, she was wary of letting Jin into her home, but Jin had been perfectly respectful so some of Sakura's worry went away.

Picking out a pair of shorts and a long shirt, Sakura pondered for a moment. Did Jin have anywhere to stay? It didn't seem as if she was taking baths regularly, and her clothes were all frayed. A thought then came to Sakura, but she tried to ignore it. There was no way she'd let a complete stranger into her home. She wasn't sure if Kenji would be safe or not. Sakura tried to will her nagging voice away. However, the idea was already ever present in her mind and would not go away so easily.

Exiting the bathroom stark naked, Jin thanked Sakura for her hospitality. "Where are my clothes?" she asked, looking around the room. Sakura pushed a new pair at her.

"I threw them away...they were all ripped up and gross. Take these," she offered, knowing her captain couldn't refuse them.

"Gee, that's really fucking nice of you," Jin said sincerely, pulling the shirt over her shoulders. Sakura fidgeted with her fingers. No, it wasn't a good idea. But still... Jin seemed like she hadn't had a secure place to stay for two years! This was a way Sakura could repay her. Inhaling deeply, Sakura made up her mind.

"Jin, um, Taichou do you...do you have a place to stay?" Sakura asked.

Jin smirked. "Not really, but it's not a big deal. I can stay at my sister's sometimes."

Sakura bit down on her lip. "Well, if you're looking for a place," she exhaled, "you're welcome here."

Jin looked at Sakura as if she had grown two heads. "You high?" she finally asked, causing Sakura to scowl. Jin laughed at the angered Sakura and shook her head, putting on pants. "Nah, I wouldn't want to cause trouble. Thanks for offering, Sakura."

* * *

The next day, they were assigned a mission. It was to retrieve a kidnapped yakuza's daughter. Naruto had complained that it should be a more dangerous mission, but Jin had snapped at him, telling him to be grateful that he was on ANBU at all.

"Sakura, if anything happens, stay hidden and out of sight," their captain instructed the medic. "Sai, if you need to, get Sakura outta there. She's the only medic we have here. Naruto, you stick with me."

"Why?" he hissed.

"Because if I stick you and Sakura together, you two are going to get all lovey-dovey with each other. At least, _**you**_ will try." Naruto grumbled underneath his breath, but Jin ignored it.

"All right, let's go."

The four of them climbed up to the air vents and were disappointed to find that they were too big to fit in it. "What should we do?" Naruto asked, glaring at Jin. The group thought for a while.

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed softly. "We could transform into small animals, like mice. Then we would fit in there no problem. Jin smiled.

"That's pretty smart." She turned to Sai. "Send some of your thingies in there to find which path we should be taking." Thingies? Sai took out a sketch book.

"This is no time to be doodling," Naruto whined. Sakura too was confused. What was he doing? Moments later, they realized. Ten inked in mice seemed to float off the page and scatter into the vents, squeaking quietly. Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground.

"What the hell is that?" he spat, so utterly baffled that his head seemed as if it were about to explode.

"Sai draws on his sketchbook and came make things come out of them," Jin explained too simply.

"Wha- how-"

"Enough," Jin shushed him. "You're a ninja, so be quiet." With a frown on his face, Naruto obeyed, uttering "bitch" before completely falling silent.

Sai's painted helpers came back and quickly relayed to the group which path they should take. Sakura and her team transformed into little mice themselves, crawling on the ground with their guides. Spotting their target, Naruto informed the rest of the group, and they quickly crawled out of the air vent. The girl was sleeping, oblivious to her saviors. Swiftly, they dropped their henge, and Sakura deemed it appropriate to gently shake the girl awake.

"Honey, it's time to wake up." The girl slowly opened her eyes and almost screamed until she saw the insignia on Sakura's headband. She almost cried tears of happiness and buried her face in Sakura's chest, clinging to her. Naruto scoffed. For the daughter of a gang leader, she wasn't very brave. Then again, she was about eight years old. "We're going to take you home," Sakura cooed, embracing the girl tightly. Jin and Sai looked at her in awe, a smile coming to her captain's face.

With great pleasure, they realized that the girl was able to fit in the air vent. They transformed yet again and guided her out, instructing her not to make any noise. The mission had ended up being fairly uneventful, but Sakura thought that to be all right. She didn't need their first mission to be stress packed. The whole way home, the girl had not let go of Sakura's hand once. Sakura ended up having to carry her.

"Hey," Sakura said to her captain, finally tired of holding the girl. "Will you take her?"

"Sure." Jin outstretched her arms and took the girl from Sakura. "You're great with kids," she complimented.

"Well, it's something that came to me after becoming a mother," Sakura giggled. Jin, under her mask, smiled.

"Y'know what? I will take you up on your offer."

* * *

When they had arrived at the village, Naruto and Sai bickered incessantly. Sakura beamed. Naruto was back to being his old self. That comforted her.

Later, he took her aside and apologized for his behavior from their date. Sakura responded by pulling him down for a kiss.

* * *

"Kenji!" Sakura's mother exclaimed, rushing to her grandson. Kenji flew into her arms.

"Grandma, I missed you!"

"I missed you more!" she exclaimed, nuzzling him. "Grandpa's waiting to see you! He has a gift for you!"

Kenji's eyes brightened. He quickly dashed inside, as quickly as a three year old could.

Sakura chuckled lightly and had a seat with her mother. "Mom, how's it been going?"

"I've been really good, honey. I've heard some...rumors, though." Sakura's brows furrowed.

"What rumors?"

"Not that there's anything wrong with this, but you've been stringing two people along from what I've heard. A chip off the old block," Mrs. Haruno said proudly.

"Wh-what?" Sakura stammered, turning red. "Who?"

"Well, that girl you're living with and Naruto!"

Sakura choked on her own spit. Then she burst out laughing.

"Mother," she chortled. "Jin and I are just good friends. I'm with Naruto, not Jin. God, I've told her time and time again not to tell people that we were lesbian mothers."

Mrs. Haruno's eyes softened. "Well, I suppose it's best that you aren't a chip off the old block."

"What are you saying, Mom?"

"Nothing, nothing."

* * *

Naruto fiddled with the ring in his pocket. It was their anniversary, and most of all, he was planning to propose tonight. Jin had tried to warn him off it, but it wasn't like he'd listen to that bitch. She didn't have the right to order him around and shouldn't have been hanging around Sakura.

"Naruto, why are you sweating so much?"

"Um, it's nothing!" he replied, his face turning red.

Sakura cocked a brow at him. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine, baby." The rest of the night was filled with idle chatter, Sakura patting his arm every couple of minutes. God, it was disgusting how nervous he was. At the end of their dinner, Naruto gathered up all his courage, grabbed the ring and-

"Sakura!" Ino burst into the restaurant, blood dripping down her face. Sakura immediately stood up and offered a friendly hand. "No, no. It's not me," she said, swatting Sakura's hands away. "It's your apartment. It's on fire."

Sakura blanched. Kenji had still been inside.

* * *

Upon seeing her three year old son, Sakura burst into tears. He was safe, asleep in Jin's arms. "Oh, God," Sakura sobbed. She embraced Jin and her son tightly. "Thank god you were home." She kissed her son's cheek, taking him from her roommate. "So what happened?" she asked. "Did you leave the stove on or what?"

Jin pursed her lips. "Sakura, give the brat to Ino. We need to talk." Sakura refused at first, but then Jin ORDERED her to give Kenji to Ino. Pulling Sakura aside, she whispered in a low voice, "That fire wasn't an accident."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Somebody set our damn apartment on fire," Jin rephrased, her eyes hardening. "Somebody's trying to kill Kenji."

Sakura suddenly felt very faint. "You need to stay with me, Sakura!" Jin bit out. "Your son's life is at stake here." The room spinning, Sakura forced herself to nod and stay conscious.

"Why are they doing it?"

"Because he's got Sasuke's blood in 'im." Jin threw her hair over her shoulder. "As you know, I'm a foreigner. Before I even got to Konoha, I heard rumors of you and Kenji, though he wasn't born at the time. The topic of the Sharingan often came up." Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Lotsa people are after those Sharingan eyes. One guy I'm sure you know is that pedo Orochimaru."

Sakura snarled. "Don't remind me."

"Another is-" Jin paused. "Y'know what? He's probably dead anyway, so don't worry about it."

Sakura bit down on her bottom lip and looked to Kenji. They were in so much danger. It was all Sasuke's damn fault. Well, no. It was her fault, too. She should have insisted that they use protection, but she had gotten so stupid...no, she shouldn't have thought like that. She would do it all over again if it meant keeping Kenji.

For the next year, there were various more assassination/kidnap attempts, but luckily, Sakura caught it before they were actually executed. Now, she was more worried about Kenji making friends.

* * *

Kenji felt a tear fall down his face.

"You're a loser," the bigger child said, he was probably around twelve years old. A twelve year old picking on a four and a half year old...well, that was just plain cowardly. "That's what my dad said." His friend snickered, agreeing with that statement.

Kenji's lip quivered, trying to hold back tears. If anything, it just made it worse.

"He said that you don't have a dad, that you're just a little bastard."

"Yo," Jin said, towering over the children. The bully just sneered at her. However, his quaking knees betrayed his fear. His friend scampered off at the sight of the tall woman. "Whatcha doing, kiddo?"

"N-nothing."

"Yeah, it's none of your business, lady," the bully shouted, trying to appear cool.

Jin smirked. "You think you're tough shit, don't you, kid?"

"I am t-tough shit."

"Yeah?" Jin took a step, and the bully fell backwards, gasping in fear. "Beat it, punk!"

The child obliged, running home. Jin sighed and turned to Kenji. He was still bawling.

"Hey, kid. Stop crying." Kenji didn't. Frowning, Jin kneeled down to Kenji's height. "Hey, he was an asshole anyway. You don't need to cry over a douche like him."

"Mommy said you weren't supposed to talk like that."

"Well, Mommy knows I'm still going to talk like this." Jin looked him in the eye, ruffling his red hair.

"Oi, lemme tell you something." Kenji was still crying, but nonetheless, he was listening. "The next time somebody does that to you, you slug him in the face, okay?"

"But mommy said-"

"Forget what mommy said!" Jin growled. "She doesn't know shit about this." Well, Jin knew that Sakura did, but it wasn't quite the same for boys. "Listen, you gotta make them respect you, okay? Do whatever you need to do to get them to stop bothering you. If it means you gotta kick 'em in the nads, then so be it; don't overdo it, though. That's the last thing I'm gonna tell you."

"Why is that?" With a sad face, Jin told him.

"I'm gonna leave soon."

"Does Mommy know?"

"Nope, but Auntie Tsunade does. I'm goin' far, far away, but in return, nobody's gonna bother you or your mom anymore," Jin replied. Kenji found this confusing, but he found a lot of things confusing at this age. "Can you keep that a secret?" Kenji blinked. "On a man's honor?"

The boy grinned. "On a man's honor." They hooked pinkies and promised.

* * *

- "I hear you're leaving, bitch," Naruto sneered. For the first time, Jin sneered back at him.

"Yeah, bet you're happy."

"More than you can imagine," he said, a wicked smile on his face. "You won't be able to get in between me and Sakura anymore."

Jin just maliciously smirked. "Please," she said. "Don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in your relationship with her."

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"Where?"

"Far away."

"Y'know, I've never liked you." Naruto stepped closer. "In fact, one could say that I hate you."

"Am I supposed to be surprised by this news?" she asked.

"I know who you are, where you're going, and I'm not afraid to tell people."

"Go ahead. I dare you."

Naruto swallowed. Obviously his threats did nothing to faze the older woman. "Is that all?" she asked. The man just growled.

"Just leave already." When she left, Naruto became Hokage, and there really was no more Jin in between him and Sakura. Sakura was devastated that Jin had left without telling her, but Naruto tried to use this to his advantage. He offered to take care of Kenji, do the groceries, found the new member for their team...he tried to propose yet again.

Sakura rejected him. He still didn't know why.

* * *

_**Present time**_

Torino had finally found the brat. Sakura's clone was nowhere in sight. Somehow Kenji had managed to get rid of it. She was practically walking down memory lane at the moment, remembering how she had had to comfort him two years ago as well. Scowling, she made her presence known.

"Hey, kiddo!" Kenji jumped when he heard her voice. He had been running wearily, dirt smudged all over his pants. "Your mom's worried, let's go back home."

"No!" he pouted. "She lied to me."

"About what?"

"About my dad!" Torino sighed.

"Listen-"

"Auntie Jin, " Kenji cried. "Why'd you leave?"

"Hey, kiddo. Let's not call me that." The Mizukage kneeled down to his height. "Hey, I had to. If I didn't, your mom and you wouldn't have been safe."

"Why couldn't YOU be my dad?"

She didn't know how to answer that. She stammered, "Well, Kenji. I'd need a dick and shit." Flustered, she shook her head. "Anyway, that's not the point. Your mom never thought you'd meet your dad. She hoped you wouldn't. He's not the nicest guy. It really was to keep you safe." She took him in her arms. "Your mom loves you, okay? She makes a lot of mistakes, but she really just wants you to be safe and happy." Kenji looked at her.

"Really?"

"Yup." She ruffled his dark hair. "Now let's go home. Uncle Itachi wants to go fishing with you."

"Okay!" he chirped, clearly excited for the excursion. "Auntie Jin, are you sure you can't be my dad?"

"One hundred percent."

* * *

God, guys. I'm so sorry for taking so long. That's the end of the Flashbacks. Mostly. Sorry, it may seem OC-centric at the end, but it's important to a subplot that I'm trying to work in here that will involve Naruto and Hinata a lot.

Now here's a sneak peek for the next chapter!

_Sakura, trying to break through the weight of her chains, cringed at the sudden pain of lifting her son. Only a few more inches! Kenji clawed at the exit, trying to get a firm grip on the window ledge. His fingers were becoming raw and bloody, but Sakura knew this was the only way her son could be safe. Kenji finally got a grasp of the ledge and hoisted himself up with a grunt. "Mommy, are you going to be okay? I don't want to leave you, I don't!" he sniffled._

_ Sakura, with tears in her eyes, smiled as warmly as she could, trying to reassure her son. "Yeah, Mommy's going to be okay. You just find someone who can help you, okay?" A tear trickled down her cheek, and a violent sob tore its way out of her lungs." She stroked her son's cheek as best as she could. "I love you, baby," she whispered. "I love you so much." _

_ Kenji's cheeks reddened, and he began to cry. "I love you too, Mommy." Sakura smiled at her son once more. "Now go! Run!" Kenji nodded and did as he was told._

_ Even after her son was long gone, Sakura had not moved her hand. She could still feel his soft cheek there._


	18. And that's only the half of it

"Oh my God!" Sakura whispered, seeing Kenji and her friend Jin return. She rushed over to her son. "I was so worried!" She thought for a moment and smiled. "You threw my clone off your trail."

Kenji sheepishly shrugged, a small smile upon his face.

"I am so proud of you," Sakura said sincerely. "But don't ever do that again, okay?"

Kenji nodded, tears stinging at his eyes. "Okay, okay."

"Not 'okay, okay.' Just 'okay.'"

"Fine, Mom."

"All right, now take a bath and go to bed, okay? It's been a long day."

Kenji gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right on it, Mommy." He coughed a bit before walking away. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the coughing, but she figured it was nothing. If anything, the excitement was just causing his condition to flare up a bit, but it wouldn't be anything to worry about. However, he was behaving so well...she expected him to be at least a little upset.

"What did you say to him?' she asked her friend.

Jin simply shrugged. "Just things."

"Sakura, Torino." It was Itachi speaking. Sakura gave him her full attention. "There is something we need to speak about."

"I feel four presences closing in around us," Itachi murmured. "I believe they are Konoha ANBU."

Sakura hit herself in the head. "I forgot to send a report into Naruto. He's worried so he's sending the ANBU after me."

Jin clucked her tongue. "That's strange...I sent him a hawk."

"When?"

"The first time I saw you." The wise woman left out the part about Sasuke, knowing Itachi's interest would be piqued. "That dumbass never replied. Then I sent another one about you, and he still never replied! My hawk came back empty handed."

"Could it have been intercepted?" Sakura asked.

Jin shrugged. "Anything's possible. I wouldn't doubt it. After all, Konoha has the worst security out of all the nations." Sakura sharply exhaled, showing her frustration.

"He most likely sent somebody close to me," Sakura concluded. "Somebody like Ino or Shikamaru..."

"That would make sense. Naruto wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable; after all, he wants to fu-"

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed, a red flush painted over her cheeks and neck. "The best course of action would be for Kenji and me to meet them. I don't think they'd react too well to...um, the rest of you."

Itachi nodded. "I understand. The rest of us shall be in our rooms." He quietly stood and rushed to relay the instructions to the rest of the occupants of the house.

"Jin," Sakura started. "Does Naruto know...?"

"I don't know," Jin curtly replied. The tone in her voice made Sakura suspicious, but she didn't want to pursue it any further at the moment. Jin rose from her position on the floor, unconsciously fingering her weapons holster. "I think I might be in trouble with him anyway." She walked away.

Kenji and Sakura waited at the side entrance of the house. "Do you think they'll hurt us, Mommy? Do you?"

"I don't think so, Kenji. Naruto loves you too much," she said, ruffling her child's hair.

Kenji scoffed. "Mommy, he's only nice to me because he has a crush on you."

Sakura snorted. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, yeah, it is!" Kenji exclaimed. "You know, Uncle Naruto, he..."

He was interrupted by the arrival of four Konoha ANBU. They stood in front of the two, tall and imposing. "Haruno Sakura and Kenji, is that correct?" the one with the hawk mask asked.

"Yes," Sakura answered. "That is correct."

"What is your ID number, Haruno Sakura?" She quickly spouted them off, eyeing the ANBU with a bit of distrust.

The ANBU sighed. "Sakura, we have been so worried about you." Taking off their masks, it was revealed that the four Naruto had sent were Ino, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sai.

Ino let out a sob and practically tackled Sakura and Kenji, holding both of them close to her bosom. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head at the uncomfortable display of affection, and Neji's eyes wandered to everything except the two women. Sai simply stared.

"Is this how women are supposed to act?" he asked. Neither of the other men answered him as they, too, did not know.

Ino planted smooches all over Sakura and Kenji's faces, now almost wet with tears and saliva. "I was so worried!" Ino bellowed, slapping Sakura on the arm. Sakura exclaimed in pain.

"That hurt, you pig."

"Oh, yeah? Billboard brow, you've just gotten weaker," Ino snarled playfully, hitting Sakura lightly again.

Neji cleared his throat. "Why haven't you been sending in reports, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head. "Things got complicated. I think you need to sit down so I can tell you."

Leading them to the kitchen, they all sat around the table, excluding Sai, who just settled for leaning against the door.

"I was captured by Sasuke."

Ino slammed her fist down on the table. "WHAT?" she screeched, her voice an unnaturally high pitch.

Shikamaru scoffed. "Calm down, woman. Let her finish or things will be troublesome."

Neji agreed. "Please continue, Sakura."

Sakura nodded, having difficulty swallowing. She turned to her son. "Kenji, why don't you go find your Uncle?" Kenji looked defiant and opened his mouth to retort, but Sakura's eyes hardened. "Now," she ordered, and Kenji begrudgingly took his leave.

"Orochimaru wanted to use me to coerce Konoha into a war with Oto," she explained.

"Therefore, he sent Sasuke to find you," Neji finished for her. Sakura gave a curt nod.

Ino's brows furrowed. "He knew you were that close to Naruto."

Shikamaru sighed. "Not surprising. That creep has a lot of miscellaneous information. I have no doubts that he has connections everywhere. Remember Kabuto?"

They all fell silent at the mention of Kabuto's name. Sakura could think of many things to call him, but she decided not to dwell on it at the moment. "Anyway," she started again. "We were with him for a couple of months. It was painful, but we had a chance to get away when a man with an orange mask attacked Sasuke and nearly killed him."

"An orange mask?" asked Sai, his expression as blank as ever.

"Yes," affirmed Sakura. "He was dressed in all black. He was extremely powerful. His chakra levels were...practically impossible for a human being to have." She shuddered at the memory. "There had also been people following us the whole time. Some of them after Kenji, after the Sharingan."

"Does Sasuke know..." Ino started.

"No, I never told him," Sakura said, a scowl on her face. "Kenji, however, does."

Both the men in the room perked up. "He picked up on it, huh?" Shikamaru said, a smile adorning his face.

"Yeah, that kid's gonna outsmart me someday," Sakura laughed.

Neji coughed once, getting them back on subject. "Sakura, whose house is this?"

Sakura's mouth immediately snapped shut, and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think of something quick. However, honesty was the best policy, and she knew this. She just didn't want them to act irrationally. If it came down to it, she would protect her family.

"It's Uchiha Itachi's," she replied, blood rushing out of her head, giving her a rather ashen appearance.

Ino gasped loudly, slapping her hand over her mouth. Neji's jaw tightened, but Shikamaru looked unsurprised.

"My prediction was correct, after all," he murmured, somewhat pleased with himself.

"What?" Ino snapped. "How could you not tell us?"

"I just didn't want you to get worked up. It's such a traditional house, and there were a couple of original Uchiha designs on the floorboards."

"Shikamaru, you little-"

"I assume there is more to this than meets the eye," Shikamaru continued. Sakura slowly opened her eyes.

"Yes. Hold on to your pants now." She told them the whole story from start to finish, noticing their faces become more and more white as time went by. Ino looked positively petrified by the end, and Neji looked ill.

"I suspected as much. Well, not completely, but there were always too many holes in the official story."

"I couldn't believe it myself," Sakura muttered. "It all made sense, too. Even Itachi would not be able to kill all those people by himself. It was just..." her voice trailed off, and her muscles tensed in anger. "There is no justifiable reason for genocide. None. Now, Itachi has to protect his family by not having any contact with the outside world. He's a rather peaceful person and quite the family man." Sakura breathed out her sadness and tried to shake out the depressing thoughts in her head. "I need you to keep this a secret from Naruto for a while. Not the Sasuke part, but please keep quiet about Itachi."

Neji frowned. "That's treason."

Sakura quirked a brow. "You've never kept secrets from the Hokage before?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Everyone has, this is just really big. Too big for Naruto to handle right now, anyway. Even Ino can handle a secret every now and then."

Ino grumbled underneath her breath.

Sakura giggled, but her joy was short lived. She quickly turned to Neji. "Can I count on you?"

The man was silent, clearly going through a perplexing moral dilemma. Finally, he exhaled. "Yes, I will keep this a secret."

Sakura beamed at all of them. "Are you hungry? I can make some tea and dinner."

"Oh, yes please," Ino moaned. "Two days without food, bleh!"

"Quit whining," Shikamaru drawled, putting his head on her shoulder.

"All right, then I'll make food for the four of...where's Sai?" They all looked around the room. He was nowhere to be found. Neji shrugged, seeing as he didn't care for Sai too much.

"He probably had to go to the bathroom," Ino guessed. "He was all fidgety earlier."

* * *

Kenji ran silently down the hallway, practicing his stealth. All of a sudden, a figure flashed out of the corner of his eye, and his already poor heart thudded in fear. It turned out only to be Sai, and Kenji sighed in relief. Sai seemed completely preoccupied, which Kenji thought to be strange. Sai was always calm, cool, and collected, yet he didn't take any notice of Kenji. Kenji frowned. Sai was going to visit Auntie Jin. He was standing right outside of her door, muttering to himself. At one point, he even took out a book titled _Conversation Starters_, and he slapped himself. Finally, he knocked on the door. Kenji wanted to creep closer so he could hear better but decided he didn't want to run the possibilty of getting caught. Auntie Jin would kick his butt.

Jin put her ear to the door. Her face scrunching up in confusion, she realized that it was Sai who was waiting. He must have been one of the ANBU sent to check up on Sakura. Slowly, preparing herself for attack, she opened the door.

"Ah," Sai huffed nervously. "You look very, very different."

"How did you know I was here?" Jin inquired, closing her eyes.

"I sensed you here," he explained, discreetly placing his book in his back pocket.

"What are you doing here?" Jin asked lightly.

"I am here to check on Sakura."

"No," Jin said, shaking her head. "What the fuck are you doing _**here**_?" she demanded, shoulders tensing.

Sai froze. "I have information to relay," he finally answered.

"Well, what is it?" Jin replied coolly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Naruto is planning things," Sai said, his voice steady. "He has discovered that you are buying weapons from many countries. He also seems to suspect who you are." Jin shrugged.

"What does he care?"

"You are buying from Oto, and our intelligence says that Orochimaru is intent on forming an alliance with you."

"I have no desire to form an alliance with Oto. Many of the people from Oto are desperate for a fucking place to live where they don't have to worry about dying every day so they make weapons for me, and we let the refugees in. No other countries are permitting the refugees to come in. We have a shortage of weapons anyway," Jin justified. "Konoha won't sell Kiri any weapons due to a longstanding prejudice."

"Naruto doesn't see it that way."

"Well, Naruto can shove a stick up his ass for all I care. I am trying to bring my country back from the dogs, and if he intends to ruin all my work, I will crush him. Do you understand?" Jin bit out, advancing on Sai. Sai stood there calmly, his expression unreadable.

Jin frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

Sai's expression was blank, but his eyes were filled with worry. "Taichou, I think Naruto is trying to-"

"Sai!" Ino shrieked. Both their heads turned. "Sakura made us dinner!"

"I am coming, Miss Lovely." Sai faced Jin again. "Taichou, keep yourself safe."

Jin nodded. "Okay. Bye, Sai."

Then Kenji saw the weirdest thing.

He shook his head and told himself it didn't matter.

Little did he know, it did.

* * *

Naruto smiled at Hinata. She had been so helpful. She had quickly become his assistant, willingly as well. Who did that? Well, she was kind enough to do so.

However, he had told her to go home that night. He had work to do. Sitting at his desk, he waited for his man to come.

From the shadows appeared the man with the orange, swirled mask.

"Hello, Hokage-sama," he respectfully greeted with a deep voice.

"Hello, Tobi."

* * *

Words: 2307

Ooh, what are your predictions?

And yes, Naruto is going to be very twisted in this story, for reasons not yet known.


	19. but now there's trouble again

I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"Well, Sakura we must take our leave now," Neji murmured, rising from his seat. "We have been informed that you are safe, and we have completed our mission."

Sakura looked at him quizzically. "I thought you were going to force me back," she laughed.

"Oddly enough, our mission did not entail that," Shikamaru breathed. "Now, last minute bathroom break, and we're out of here."

"I think we're good," Ino said, her voice agitated.

"All right, well, see you, Sakura," Shikamaru said, saluting her.

"Take care of yourself, Ugly," Sai said, smiling at her. Sakura reciprocated it.

"Bye, guys."

Then they ran off, back to Konoha.

Exhaling, Sakura sauntered back to her room lazily, her hips swaying from side to side.

* * *

"Sasuke," Orochimaru rasped, calling for the young man. "This body grows weak. When will you be strong enough for the transfer?"

"I am still healing," Sasuke said dangerously, eyes glowing red.

Orochimaru's new pawn, Rudy Fallenhaust, nodded his head vigorously. "It's true. I checked yesterday; the wounds are still pink and overly sensitive. It'll be a while before he'll have the strength to live through the transfer."

Orochimaru sighed wearily. With a wave of his hand, he flippantly said, "Fine. In the meantime, Sasuke, go find out if our informant from Konoha is dead. We have heard nothing from him for weeks so I suspect it is so."

Not casting Orochimaru a second glance, Sasuke nodded and walked out of the room.

Smiling maliciously, Orochimaru beckoned Rudy over. "What is it?"

"I need you to go find Haruno Sakura and Kenji and to bring them here."

* * *

"Kisame-san, how do you cast the hook?"

"Well, Kenji-kun, you throw it back like this and voila!"

Sakura shook her head at the sight. It was absolutely adorable how Kenji had taken an interest in fishing, claiming that he wanted to be just like Uncle Itachi, except Itachi hardly caught any fish. Seriously, he sucked at fishing. Sakura suspected that he was doing underground missions but did not want to pry.

"He's getting so big," Jin sighed, rubbing her shoulders. "I can't bear the thought of him as a teenager."

"Oh, hush," Haruna laughed, nursing Takara. "Like you're one to talk." Jin just grumbled underneath her breath while Saobi laughed boisterously, slapping her on the back.

"I think we all remember those years," he snorted, eliciting a scowl from the Mizukage.

Sakura shivered in horror. "Oh, the sweet agony," she drawled, sipping some water. "I just want him to live to adulthood."

"Oh, sooo selfish," Jin said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Sakura shot back snippily before smiling and resuming her laid back child-watching.

Itachi took Kenji's hand in his and showed him the bait. "Now, you hook this on the -" he paused abruptly.

Sakura then felt it and saw Haruna, Jin, and Kisame jerk up.

"Damn," Saobi swore. "We should get out of here."

"Indeed," Itachi said, his voice filled with worry. "Haruna, I'll go get our emergency kit. Take care of the weapons, please." His wife nodded and began to strap Takara to her back.

"Kisame-san," she said. "Please take care of the rest."

"Of course," he stated, nodding his head before trotting off.

"What is it, Mommy?" Kenji asked.

Sakura gulped. "There are four people coming near us. They're very, very strong. They have some help, too. A bunch of Chuunin." She stood up quickly. "Come on baby." She took his hand. "Let's get our stuff."

They quickly did so, and she heard Jin cursing in the hallway, telling Saobi to hurry his ass up followed by a sigh from the tall man.

The groups met back at the exit of the house, all of them having their things. "Everybody out?" Haruna asked. She was met with a chorus of "yes."

She then took out a scroll and performed some hand seals. Next thing the groups knew, the house was gone and was sealed in the scroll.

"Efficient," Sakura complimented.

"Quite," Haruna said frantically. "We've had to move many times."

They all turned to each other. "Well," Sakura said. "I suppose this is where we all go our separate ways."

"I suppose it is," Itachi replied. Swallowing, he choked out, "Good luck, Kenji, Sakura. Remember, we are your family. You can come to us for help."

Kenji nodded boldly, saluting his uncle. Sakura swore that Itachi could have cried.

"Come on, Sakura. Let's go," Jin commanded. "Kenji, hop on to Saobi's back. He's fast." He opened his mouth to protest, but Jin bonked him on the head.

Grumbling, he murmured, "Fine, Auntie Jin" and complied with her wishes.

The two groups went off running.

* * *

The group of four men and their lesser minions stopped, sensing that the chakra signatures were going opposite directions.

"Rudy, what do we do?" One man asked. Rudy sighed.

"Sakura and Kenji's chakra signatures are headed...that way!" He pointed to the west. "Follow them."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Fuck!" Jin cried out loud. "One of them is gaining on us!"

"Maybe if you weren't wearing high heels-"

"Oh, shut up, you two!" Sakura snapped. "What should we do?"

Saobi's mouth twisted into a frown. He stopped abruptly on a tree branch, letting Kenji down. "Go," he said. "I'll stay here and keep them back. Jin, go with them."

"No fucking way," she hissed, and Saobi glowered at the Mizukage.

Sakura grimaced. "I can't-"

"Just go!" he yelled, but Sakura shook her head. "You'll die."

"That's okay. I can hold them off at least for a little while." He paused and turned to Jin. "I have one lousy job, and it's to protect you."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you here, motherfucker!" she screamed at him. Whipping around, she pointed her finger to the sun. "There's no time. Didn't you hear him? Go!"

"But-"

"GO, SAKURA!"

With that, Sakura threw Kenji over her shoulder and ran like the wind.

* * *

As they drew closer, Jin felt her heart beat more and more quickly.

Saobi slowly grabbed her hand, and Jin squeezed his.

When they came into sight, her eyes widened.

"You're-"

That was the beginning of a battle that would end in blood and tears.

* * *

Sakura ran like the wind, tears stinging at her eyes. Why? This was so unfair. When she had finally begun to settle down again, her life was disrupted. This was no life for Kenji. He deserved to have a stable environment to grow in, not some living hell.

"Mommy!" Kenji screamed, and Sakura felt something crash against her head.

Everything was white.

* * *

When she woke up, Sakura was bound in chains, and Kenji was screaming her name.

"Mommy, wake up!" he cried, tears trailing down his face. He was shaking her shoulder, and Sakura could barely mutter something coherent. She could smell vomit and urine, and it immediately woke her up.

"I'm up," she muttered. "Baby, I'm up." She had to be strong.

Sitting up, she smiled at her son. There were chunks of vomit sticking to his chin, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What happened?"

"My chest feels funny," he admitted, and Sakura inhaled sharply. "I puked."

"Honey, come here." He did as she asked and she called all the chakra she could muster into her hands. " Bend over." She placed her hands on his chest and healed the damage that his heart was doing to him. It would be temporary, but it would be better than nothing. "Better?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm."

Studying their surroundings, she came to the conclusion that they were in a little shack made of metal walls; evidently they had been captured. She barely had any chakra left, so she wouldn't be able to punch a hole through the wall.

"Mommy?"

"One sec, Kenji."

Was there any way to escape? She looked for a light source. A tiny sliver sunlight caught her eye, and it lead her vision to a window, just three and a half feet above her head. With a sinking heart, she realized that she wouldn't fit in there and would not be able to pull herself up with the chains.

But Kenji would.

"Kenji," she whispered. "You're going to go out that window and find help, okay?"

His expression was crestfallen. "But what about you?"

"I won't fit," Sakura admitted, and Kenji immediately shook his head.

"I won't do it!"

"KENJI!" Sakura bit out, and her son shut up. "Baby, you can do it. You'll find someone who can help me, and until then, I'll be okay."

"But-"

"No buts!" Sakura hissed sternly. "Do it, or you're grounded."

"But-"

"Now, honey." She bent down. "Get on my shoulders."

Kenji hoisted himself onto her shoulders and straightened his legs. Then Sakura began to stretch, already on her tippytoes.

"Damn!" she cursed as the chains tried to restrain her, grimacing at the pain. Kenji got on her hands and found that he could, in fact, reach the ledge. Just barely. However, he needed to get just a little closer.

"More, Mommy!"

Sakura, trying to break through the weight of her chains, cringed at the sudden pain of lifting her son. Only a few more inches! Kenji clawed at the exit, trying to get a firm grip on the window ledge. His fingers were becoming raw and bloody, but Sakura knew this was the only way her son could be safe. Kenji finally got a grasp of the ledge and hoisted himself up with a grunt. "Mommy, are you going to be okay? I don't want to leave you, I don't!" he sniffled.

Sakura, with tears in her eyes, smiled as warmly as she could, trying to reassure her son. "Yeah, Mommy's going to be okay. You just find someone who can help you, okay?" A tear trickled down her cheek, and a violent sob tore its way out of her lungs." She stroked her son's cheek as best as she could. "I love you, baby," she whispered. "I love you so much."

Kenji's cheeks reddened, and he began to cry. "I love you too, Mommy." Sakura smiled at her son once more. "Now go! Run!" Kenji nodded and did as he was told.

Even after her son was long gone, Sakura had not moved her hand. She could still feel his soft cheek there.

* * *

OMG

:(

THOUGHTS COMMENTS CONCERNS COMPLAINTS

THEN REVIEW

OR DON'T

I JUST NEEDED TO GET THIS CHAPTER OUT THERE.


	20. and you are going to come for me

Sorry for the late update, but it's here! Will be updating shortly, seriously, I will be.

* * *

Kenji ran and ran, clutching his chest. It hurt, but he could not stop. His mommy was in danger! He had seen her eyes well up with tears and how her fingers had trembled as she let him go. He squeezed his eyes shut but continued pumping his arms. He didn't even notice that the skies were blending into streaks of orange and pink, but when it was dark, it suddenly dawned on him. Kenji whimpered, and his knees buckled. Collapsing against the nearest tree, Kenji hugged his knees to his chest and cried.

* * *

Sakura sat underneath the window, shaking uncontrollably. What was going to happen to her? Would Kenji find anybody to help him? She certainly hoped so. She hoped her son would be safe, and that what they had done hadn't been in vain. To whom, she did not know, but Sakura prayed like there was no tomorrow. She did not know how much time had passed until a large, blonde man entered the room, along with a smaller one. She recognized the signature, and she trembled at the realization of his power.

"Y-you're the one-" she tried to speak, but her vocal chords were failing her as her throat was tightening up, and she could barely breathe. The man's face twisted in anger.

"Where is he?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"Rudy, you're scaring her," the second blonde man said.

"Shut up!" he snapped, his dull, blue eyes boring into hers. "Where's that Uchiha brat?" he hissed, crouching down to meet her gaze. Sakura tried to look away, but it was impossible. One look from this man had sent her into shivers.

"He's gone," she finally managed to choke out, attempting to look strong while all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide. "You'll never find him," she spat out, glaring at the man called "Rudy." Baring his teeth at her, he raised his hand to strike her, and Sakura just continued to stare at him until-

A hand grasped on to Rudy's wrist. "Rudy, that's enough." Rudy glared at the smaller man and looked as if he would challenge him to a fight, but then he just scoffed and broke free of the grip.

"Don't think this is over," he told Sakura, and Sakura felt her muscles tense in fright. He turned his back and left the room, slamming the door shut. Sakura stared at the blonde man before her, worried he would try something as well.

The man sighed instead. Before he left, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Saobi was in the Intensive Care Unit, and Jin had gotten away relatively unharmed. Her aide, Chojuro, came bearing news. "Tobi has been on the move," he told the Mizukage, and she nodded.

"I've noticed," she muttered. "And I just saw Rudy and Koga. I thought they were dead."

Chojuro shook his head. "I have heard the Yoshiro has become a monk."

Jin chuckled. "I should have figured as much. And the others?"

Chojuro frowned. "We're not sure yet. They're probably dead-"

"Or in hiding," Jin said, finishing his thought for him. "Thanks, Chojuro."

"You're not going home?"

"No, I'd like to stay with him for now." He had gotten those wounds from Rudy, who had attacked him in a rage. She had seen Koga's face. He had always been nonviolent, choosing to run from fights rather than in engage in them. Perhaps that was why he was so fast now. This was probably hard on him. Looking at Rudy, his face turned to one of horror and sadness.

Jin just hoped Sakura and Kenji were okay.

* * *

Sakura balled up into herself when she heard the door click. With a sigh of relief, she realized it was the smaller man. "I've brought you dinner," he informed her. "I hope you like eel on rice."

Sakura licked her lips nervously. "Well, I do, but I won't eat it."

Koga's shoulders slumped. "Well, I snuck it all the way in her for nothing then. Well, I guess I'll just eat it mysel-"

"Wait!" Sakura cried out, reaching out a hand to stop him. Flushing in fear, she squeaked out, "Just let me see you take a bite."

The man gave her an odd look but did as she said, taking a small mouthful of the food, then handed it to her. Warily, Sakura took the meal, muttered an 'itadakimasu' and began to eat.

Eyes lighting up in delight, she smiled. "This is good," she whispered. Her grip tightened on the plate. "It's really, really good."

The man smiled at her. "Really, I'm glad. I didn't know I would find any eel in the river out here. It was a little surprising, to say the least."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You made this?" she said with her mouth full.

"Yeah, it was hard to get it past Rudy. He doesn't want us feeding you till you get us some info, but he's a softie when it comes to me."

Sakura looked into the man's eyes. They were green, like hers. "What's your name?" she asked, pausing her feast for just a moment.

He grinned. "It's Koga."

* * *

Kenji was weary. He was slouched over, trying to run, but he was simply too hungry and tired to. His breath came out in painful desperate gasps, and he fell to the ground, clutching his chest.

He saw a figure approach him, but he did not stay conscious long enough to see who it was.

Upon seeing the boy in such a haggard and dreadful condition, Sasuke had run to him, mouth set in a tight line. The boy collapsed onto the ground, clinging on to his shirt for dear life. He was not breathing normally, what should have been puffs of air coming out as wheezes. Frowning, he briefly contemplated if he should leave him there for Sakura, but he could not sense her anywhere near their location. Carefully, Sasuke hooked his arm under the boy's legs and back and sought out a doctor.

It didn't matter what Orochimaru wanted now. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He would not let that treacherous snake take his body.

* * *

Koga had continued to sneak Sakura food. Upon speaking with him, Sakura had learned that Koga was, in fact, a very kind and pleasant person with one of the gentlest hands she had ever come across. His voice was mellow and soft, and his smiles were always warm, betraying a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Sakura couldn't help but like him. Even though he technically was _the _enemy, he wasn't _her_ enemy. She had come to see him as a friend, at least an acquaintance. He deserved that much. She realized that he was under the control of that man named Rudy Fallenhaust. He had said that they were friends, but Sakura had simply shaken her head. That was not what friendships were like. Friends did not constantly have one in fear for their life.

Sighing, Sakura wondered where Kenji was and if he was safe.

* * *

Kenji felt a warm hand against his forehead. He leaned into the touch, moaning in pain. His chest hurt, and it was hard to breathe.

"Kenji," a familiar voice muttered. "Kenji, wake up."

"No, I'm tired," he mumbled incoherently. "I feel sick, Mommy. So sick. I don't wanna go today." He felt a warm exhale upon his cheek.

"Wake up," the voice demanded again, more firmly this time. "It's Sasuke."

Kenji's eyes flashed open. "M-mr. Uchiha!" he shrieked. He looked at the man who was his father, but he quickly shook his head. This was no time to be thinking about that. Feeling a stab of pain go through him, he tried to ignore it. "You have to help us!" he cried out, panicking now. His chest tightened the more he talked, and soon, he was gasping for air.

"Calm down," Sasuke said softly, patting the boy's back. "The doctor said you have to keep your heart rate down. He also gave me some medicine that will help temporarily." Reaching behind him, Sasuke picked up some pills and a glass of water. "Take these," he ordered, and Kenji readily did, the water soothing his dry, aching throat and returning his breathing to normal. "Now tell me what's going on."

Gulping, Kenji started. "Mom's been kidnapped, kidnapped by these big, blonde dudes. It was in the forest, and I ran and ran because I was small enough to get out of the window. Mommy's still there." Sasuke's brows furrowed. Kenji had not noticed that tears had formed and were flowing down his cheeks. "She's in trouble, and she's hurt and they're gonna kill her and what am I gonna do-" He could no longer speak and began to bawl, tiny fists rubbing at his eyes. Sasuke's gaze softened, but he felt that he had no right to touch this boy.

"Kenji, could you find her again?" Kenji nodded, eyes squeezed shut and sharply sucking in air.

Exhaling deeply, Sasuke felt his chest tighten. For some reason, Sakura was in trouble. For what, he did not know, but he knew that he must at least try to help her. It was his duty. He had to pay her back for what she did for him. Sasuke bit down on his cheek. He had to take things slowly. Kenji was sick, and Sakura's life would be over if he made a wrong move. The thought of Sakura dying, bleeding out slowly, cause him to get very angry, and Sasuke did not know why. He just knew he could not let that happen.

Kenji's sobs were becoming more sparse until he was silent. Sasuke met his eyes. "Kenji, I'm going to help your mother. You're going to lead me to her, understand?" Kenji nodded, pursing his lips. "I want you to describe the location to me."

Kenji described the location in incredible detail, so much so that Sasuke was certain he would be able to find it. Ruffling the boy's head, he comforted him again but had snatched his hand away as if he had been burned. Something was niggling him in the back of his mind, something about Kenji, something about his so-

Kenji sniffed. "When are we leaving?" Sasuke shot a glance at the boy.

"You're staying here," he said with finality, rising from his seated position by the bed.

"But I want to help!" Kenji screamed, his small form shaking once more. Sasuke grabbed his sword but returned to the boy's bedside.

"Kenji, you are going to stay here, and that is final," he said, his tone harsh. However, Kenji noticed that the light in his eyes was soft, and he reached out to touch his father's face. Sasuke closed his eyes but quickly the moment was over as he stood up and grabbed the door handle.

"I'll be back," Sasuke said, slamming the door shut.

* * *

YAY so sasuke's back! The next chapter will probably be out by wednesday or this weekend, only time will tell.

I've missed all of you.

Oh, and important stuff on my profile. please check it out.


	21. We Are Together Again

Warning: Heed the rating in this chapter

* * *

Sakura was beginning to worry. About a week had passed, and she was starting to wonder if Kenji had made it to a town safely. What if he hadn't? Her eyes widened at the very thought of him getting captured by another one of Orochimaru's goons. Shuddering, she tried to be positive, to think positive thoughts, but it wasn't very effective. Images of him bleeding and screaming and dying filled her head, and she felt tears well up in her eyes. Why was she so weak? She needed to help her son, yet she was here being coddled by the overly kind Koga.

"Sho, you fucking disobeyed me!"

Her head snapping up, she felt the door slamming shake the very foundation of the little hut, and she came face to face with the a very angry Rudy, followed closely by a frightened Koga.

* * *

Sasuke hopped from branch to branch, dashing toward the location Sakura was being held captive in. He suddenly felt a chill pass through him, causing him to stumble over and land on the ground.

"Impossible..." he muttered underneath his breath. Why was that annoying man here?

* * *

"Sho, I told you not to take care of this woman, and now, I have to force the information out of her!" Rudy shouted, fisting his hand in Sakura's collar. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat, and she suddenly found it hard to swallow, a sheen of cold sweat dripping down her body.

"Rudy, don't!" Koga cried out, taking his friend by the arm and dragging him away from Sakura. Rudy slapped his hands away and pushed Koga, the other man hardly resisting.

"You always were weak, Sho!"

"My name's Koga," Koga shakily said, his hands balling up at his sides.

"Whatever!" the brute growled, stalking towards Sakura again. She made herself as small as possible by instinct, whimpering. She looked to Koga with wide, desperate eyes, and his shoulders slumped. Taking out his spear from behind his back, he placed himself between Sakura and Rudy, his posture firm and unmoving.

"Rudy, stop," he said sternly, his viridian eyes filled with a sadness Rudy had never seen before, but he quickly shook his feelings off.

Taking out his own weapon, he said, "Kog- Sho, move."

Koga slowly shook his head and stood his ground.

Then Rudy charged, snarling wildly. He swung down his spear to simply disable his longtime partner, but Koga blocked with the base of the spear, forcing him backwards. A tiny crack formed in the middle.

"Sakura, run!"

Her brows furrowed together. "What?"

"Run!" Koga screamed, quickly bringing up his spear to block yet another one of Rudy's attacks.

Sakura's knees quaked as she stood, but she paid it no mind. As quickly as she could, she sprinted out of the hut, pushing her way past the two fighting men.

Rudy was strong, much stronger than Koga. He could easily toss Koga with one arm, but for some reason, Koga had developed a strength he had never seen before.

"Rudy, you're killing yourself," Koga choked out, quickly running out of the way of one of Rudy's hits. Rudy growled at him like an animal, ignoring his words.

"I'll kill you!" he roared, slicing at Koga, determined to make him pay for his betrayal. He brought his spear down once more, the handles of the spears meeting again. Rudy felt something wet falling down his face, and he pretending that his breath wasn't coming out in desperate, sobbing gasps. He forced the full brunt of his strength down, and he heard a crack. Koga's green eyes welled up with tears, and they quickly flowed over, his lips quivering.

"Rudy," he whispered, and Rudy squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away.

Then Koga's spear broke in two.

* * *

Sasuke's head snapped up as he heard someone sprinting towards him with heavy breathing. Activating his sharingan, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared to cut them down. However, he recognized the chakra signature and relaxed. The woman continued to run past Sasuke, but her legs were growing weak. Soon, she was leaning against a tree, coughing up blood.

Her eyes flashed open when she felt a man's hand lightly grasping her arm. Pulling it back, she gathered chakra in her arm in order to punch the life out of him, but then she saw his face. Her irregular breaths calmed, and her muscles relaxed. She collapsed into the man's arms, her emerald eyes locking with his oddly warm and dark gaze.

"Sasuke," Sakura breathed.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, and she groaned loudly, feeling her muscles squeeze with every movement. Then she began to panic. She did not recognize this room. "Where am I?" she gasped, sitting straight up, clutching her bed sheets to her chest. She frantically looked around the room, right and left, eyes unable to focus. Then she heard a tiny moan coming from her left, and she stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned her head, and when she caught sight of that tuft of dark red hair and those chubby cheeks that were thinning out, she felt her eyes sting. Crawling over to the boy, she gathered him in her arms and breathed in his awful, little boy scent.

"Kenji..." she said lovingly, and she felt the boy begin to stir in her embrace. Blinking rapidly, the boy gave her a sleepy smile.

"Mommy, you're back."

Sakura planted kisses all around his face, making him giggle wildly, limbs thrashing out. Kenji nuzzled his face in her neck and started yelping as she tickled him, squeezing her tighter than he ever had.

A voice interrupted the two's reunion. "The doctor said that he shouldn't get too excited."

Sakura looked to the man stiffly sitting and leaning on the wall. There were dark circles around his bloodshot eyes, and his neck and shoulders were thick with tension. He looked as if he hadn't moved or rested in days. She couldn't hold back the soft smile that came to her face, although she was confused by this turn of events.

"Why did you help us?" she asked, and Kenji clung to his mother. Sasuke averted his eyes.

"I defected," he said shortly, as if that explained everything.

"I know you defected from Konoha," Sakura snorted, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I mean-"

"No," Sasuke said, softer this time. "I defected. From Oto."

Sakura's eyes widened with adoration and surprise, hearing the unspoken words. He did it for them. Her lips curled into an unintentional wry smile. Maybe he did care. Looking down to her son, she asked, "Did you know?" He nodded slowly, his head resting against her chest. She grinned fondly at her son and kissed the crown of his forehead, nudging his head down. Covering her heated face with her hair, she mumbled, "Thank you, Sasuke."

She didn't see his gaze soften when she muttered those words. He moved his lips as if to respond, but he settled into the uncomfortable silence instead.

* * *

Sasuke brought over the doctor a couple more times to check on Kenji, insisting that the medicine had helped a bit. Sakura complied even though she thought it was ridiculous, and Kenji groaned every time he saw the blasted doctor, though he was a kind man. It was clear that Kenji would be all right for now as long as he got a few more days of rest, and Sasuke quickly moved Kenji into the opposite room, thinly separated by a sliding door, so he could rest quietly without being disturbed. After all, Sakura had recovered much more quickly than he had due to Koga's kind care previously. Sakura also pushed Sasuke to go get Kenji some coloring books and toys to play with, and although he had protested with his eyes, he eventually let out an annoyed noise and went.

* * *

Sasuke perused the aisles, walking up and down them multiple times. In his mind, he cursed Sakura. He had no idea what a child liked! What were these coloring books? He had never had one as a child. His older brother had offered to buy him one once, but Sasuke had refused. A flush coming to his face, Sasuke tried to retain his composure while he searched for an employee to help him.

* * *

After checking on Kenji and finding that he was asleep, Sakura sighed in relief and stroked his cheek, then retreating in the other room to rest on her futon, collapsing on it. She brought the covers to her face and breathed deeply, enjoying the clean smell. Haruna's futons hadn't been cleaned everyday so they didn't smell as fresh as this did, no offense to her, of course (She was pretty sure Itachi was the homemaker anyway). Snuggling into the futon, she exhaled in contentment, feeling warm and happy. Soon she felt herself almost drift off to sleep, her eyelids growing heavy. However, her hand accidentally nudged over her breast, and she gasped in surprise, feeling a familiar heat washing over her. Trying to push it out of her mind, she squeezed her eyes shut, but to no avail. The area between her legs was growing warm and needy.

She grew frustrated with herself. She was a grown woman! Not a- a- dirty, horny teenager! Groaning, she covered her face with her hands and squeezed her thighs together, though the pressure only made the problem worse.

Sakura realized that this was truly the only time in months that she had had to herself without having to take care of a child or escape from danger or be watched intently by her captors. Also, Sasuke was gone... Nodding at her justification, she decided to go ahead and release her tension the good, old fashioned way: masturbating.

Throwing her shirt and shorts off, Sakura quickly dove underneath the covers, still ashamed of her stupid needs. At first, she couldn't bring herself to start, but after some serious self talk, she began.

She cupped her small breasts in her calloused hands, kneading them gently. Her womanhood felt as if it were on fire, but Sakura continued her slow and delicious treatment of herself. Biting her lip to stifle her... _inappropriate_ sounds, her hands became more rough, quickening their pace. Slipping her fingers underneath her bra, she covered her breast with her palm and just slightly brushed her nipple, her lips tightening in pleasurable agony.

In her daze, she had not noticed the door opening and closing..

Sasuke saw her curled up on the futon and playing with herself, a hint of pink peeking out of her bra.

He dropped the bag.

Sakura, startled by the noise, stopped her ministrations and whipped around, horrified at Sasuke's arrival. He showed no emotion on his face, but it seemed as if he was frozen in place, his arm still jutting out as if he had never dropped the shopping bag.

Unable to even scream, Sakura brought up the covers to hide herself, her face resembling an extremely ripe tomato. Trembling in embarrassment, she could not bring herself to break away from Sasuke's blank and soulless gaze. "I'm sorry," she squeaked, apologizing for no real reason at all.

Finally, Sasuke seemed to snap out of his shock with a jolt, locking the door behind him. He sat directly in front of Sakura, and she jumped at the proximity. For some reason, Sasuke couldn't just pass this off as nothing. He had to...

With a gentle hand, he took her wrist and watched the covers drop to her lap. Sakura, baffled at his strange behavior, halfheartedly tried to get out of his grip. "What are you doing?" she hissed, the tips of her ears turning pink.

"Let me," he said, and Sakura stopped breathing.

"Why?" she asked, biting her lip. "You don't need to-"

"I want to...make up for what I did. Please."

Sakura was silent, forcing herself to look somewhere else. However, she could still feel Sasuke's burning gaze on her, his hot breath ghosting over her neck, and she was slowly losing all sense of reason.

"Sakura," Sasuke said quietly. "Let me. Please."

Sakura flushed underneath his hard stare and thought of saying "no," but since he was already offering...she reluctantly nodded her head.

Sasuke cupped one cheek and nuzzled the other, inhaling her sweaty yet sweet scent. Getting to work, Sasuke lowered his head over her pelvis and slid his rough hands along her curves, causing Sakura to stiffen. "Relax," he whispered. "We can stop if you want." Sakura quickly shook her head, now excited, and motioned for him to continue.

Smiling to himself, Sasuke trailed his hands to her hips and nudged the juncture of her thighs with his nose ever so slightly, placing a soft kiss on Sakura's inner thigh. She quivered in response. Hooking his fingers in her panties, he slowly pulled them down to her knees, and Sakura attempted to squeeze her thighs together when she felt the cool air on her core. She frowned when she saw Sasuke trying to hide a smirk, but she could not help but anticipate what would come next. She could feel Sasuke's hot breath tickling her pink curls, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Feeling himself harden at the musky scent coming from her womanhood, Sasuke dragged his tongue along her nether lips, and Sakura gasped. It had been so long since...

Flicking the tip of his tongue over her little bud, Sasuke hummed his praise of her lovely, soft folds. Sakura whimpered at the sensation, the vibrations sending jolts of pleasure up her spine. "S-Sasuke," she moaned in an unsaid plea, and Sasuke nodded his head in understanding. Sasuke suckled at her clit, and Sakura threw her head back in overwhelming pleasure, little gasps escaping her. She unintentionally bucked her hips, and Sasuke nearly groaned. His hands gripping her thighs, he felt her begin to tremble almost violently, and he started sucking more insistently until her gasps turned into throaty moans and her hands fisted themselves in his hair and-

Sakura's face and chest flushed as she came, shuddering as the tension inside her had released. Sasuke licked his lips as he looked upon her beautiful face, feeling his heart twist in his chest. Panting, Sakura curled into a ball, still shaking as she came down from her high. God, that had been...amazing. That had been so different than how Naruto did it. She felt Sasuke stroking her hair, and she relaxed at his touch. She felt her eyelids drooping but felt it was rude not to ask.

"Do you want me to..."

Sasuke shook his head. "Just go to sleep, Sakura." He pulled the covers over her shoulders and tucked her in as if she were a child. Once she had fallen asleep, Sasuke allowed himself to relax, and a fond smile played upon his lips.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I know I said I wouldn't put any mature material in here, but...

I LIED.

Feel free to ask me anything if you did not understand this chapter. Sasuke is going to go through some major character development from here on.


	22. Hope Returns

Sasuke sat by the door, listening for any odd movements of any kind. Both Kenji and Sakura were sleeping now, and he licked his lips a couple times. He could still taste her on his tongue.

What a pleasant taste. He allowed his lips to curl upward a bit.

He sighed. Tomorrow, they would have to get a move on. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he knew someone was after Sakura and Kenji. There was something bothering him about Kenji. It was something important. It went right back to the day they were attacked by the masked man...

A flash of pain waved through him. He banished the thought from his mind. It wasn't important at the moment. Right now, he just needed to get them back home safely. That's all.

Their safety mattered most.

* * *

Sakura woke up to the sound of scribbling. Still in a daze, she cocked her head to the right, finding that Kenji was busy with his coloring books. He noticed that she was awake.

"Ah, Mommy! Good morning, good morning!" He held up the drawing for her to see. Sakura giggled. It was sloppy, and he didn't even bother to try to keep it within the lines.

It was perfect.

"Good morning, baby." She sat up in bed and stretched. Looking around the room, she noticed that Sasuke had fallen asleep against the door. A soft smile came to her lips.

Kenji was quiet. "He fell asleep around fifteen minutes ago," he said softly.

Sakura frowned a bit. "Do you regret knowing?" she asked finally, folding her hands in her lap.

Kenji smiled sadly and shook his head. "A lot of things make more sense now. But..." he trailed off. "I think right now, he doesn't need to know."

Sakura felt tears sting at her eyes. Grabbing Kenji, she smothered him with a hug, eliciting hysterical laughter from the boy. "I love you," she choked out, pressing a wet kiss to his cheek. Then another one.

He eventually pushed her away, still laughing. "Okay, okay. I love you too, Mom!" Sakura saw it now. He was going to become the teenager who was always running from her affections. Sakura felt a tear trickled down her face and wiped it away. At least now, she had hope that she would be there to see him grow up.

She settled down in bed. "Get ready. Let's let Sasuke sleep for now."

* * *

When Sasuke dreamed, it was like he was on drugs.

Lately, Sasuke had been having a lot of dreams.

_"...son..."_

Images of Kenji's face, torn up with his eyes ripped out flashed before him.

_"In order to leave the village, you have to take this road." _

A crying Sakura came to mind, helpless and weak.

Then flashbacks of her screaming at him scared but _angry _were all around him.

_"You fucking BASTARD!"_

He could feel the blow as if it had happened just seconds ago, when she had broken the bed post over his head. That had hurt, and he still could pinpoint the exact spot on his head where he had a bump.

Sasuke then saw himself. Two of them.

**"Sasuke, is it okay? Letting all this power go to waste? For what, a woman and a child?"**

_The other Sasuke growled and pointed at his other half. "Don't listen to him; you made the right choice, Sasuke!"_

**"You're letting go of your revenge if you do this. You'll never get justice for the clan's death. Think of Itachi, how he betrayed them, how he betrayed you."**

_The other Sasuke shook his head. "Killing him isn't going to bring them back, Sasuke. They're dead, but you're alive! Anyway, you always knew that things weren't always what they seemed."_

* * *

"-suke, Sasuke!" Sakura shook him awake.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. "I'm up," he deadpanned.

She beamed at him, and Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat. "It's time to go. You ready?" He nodded, grabbing his things in the corner of the room.

They quickly checked out of the hotel and headed on the way to Konoha, with Kenji on Sakura's back.

"Do you want me to carry him?" Sasuke offered. Sakura smirked.

"Nah, I can handle this. You're carrying all the stuff anyway." A pause. "Thank you."

Sasuke looked away. He was not worthy of her gratitude. Even she knew that, but she still thanked him anyway.

"Your dream..." Sasuke's turned to Sakura. She hid behind her bangs. "It looked really scary."

Sasuke tensed up. "I guess it was."

"What was it about?" Sakura asked, and Sasuke's brow furrowed.

"I can't remember."

* * *

Sorry, kind of short, but it dealt with all things I wanted it to so there.

and sorry for the long wait!


	23. Now We're Almost There

They were a two day walk away from the village. Kenji was extremely excited. They'd be passing by the village that they had first stayed in, and Kenji would get to visit Kara and Kyou. He could not stop talking about them. He blabbered on and on about them to Sakura, who had already heard the stories multiple times, though Sakura could tell that Sasuke was listening with veiled interest.

Sakura bit her lip. Maybe she should tell him.

Sighing, she wondered if it was a good idea at all. Sasuke really still didn't seem like father material. Or even family material. Hell, even Jin was better than he was, and she swore up and down the house.

Casting a glance at Kenji, she frowned, her forehead wrinkling. She wasn't even sure if Kenji wanted Sasuke to know, or even if Kenji would accept Sasuke as a father figure. Kenji was still being nice to Sasuke, but he was definitely keeping his distance.

She heard Kenji excitedly giggle and run in place. "We're here!" he screamed, and with all the energy of a whole army, he sprinted toward the village. Sakura snorted. She hoped that Kara and Kyou still remembered him.

She heard a trio screaming. They definitely did.

She turned to Sasuke, finding him massaging his temples with two fingers. Her eyes softened. "Sasuke, we have an old house here. We can stay there for now, and you can get some rest."

Sasuke scoffed. "It's fine; I'll be okay."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Sasuke, it's more important for the body to rest than even eat sometimes," she said curtly.

"I'm fine," he rasped gruffly, but the dark shadows underneath his eyes said otherwise.

Sakura, exasperated, huffed and went off to find some of her old acquaintances.

* * *

As it turned out, some of the people in the village were in need of healing. After a quick lunch with some old friends, Sakura did a few healing sessions and some checkups. The village had not had a doctor since she had left. She gave out prenatal advice, diagnose arthritis about fifteen times, and healed up major flesh wounds that would take too long otherwise.

On her way out of the last person's house, she noticed Sasuke was still there waiting for her while keeping one eye on Kenji, who was playing with the other "two k's" in the middle of the village. They were rolling around doing something inexplicable, and Sakura just laughed underneath her breath.

"Kenji," she called out. "You ready to go home?"

He shook his head excitedly. "Kyou's mom said I could stay there for tonight!"

Sakura tensed a little. Would that be a good idea? She didn't know if anybody was still following them. Clenching her fists, she decided that she would have to stay awake tonight. After she got Sasuke to sleep. She wanted Kenji to have fun with his friends. She didn't know when he'd get to see them again. Smiling, albeit nervously, she laughed, "All right, Kenji. Be good and don't give Kyou's mom too much trouble."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, yes. Whatever." They then scampered off to Kyou's house. Sakura pursed her lips. Oh, he was getting cheeky. Shaking her head, she patted Sasuke's shoulder. He flinched, as if startled.

Sakura gritted her teeth together.

"Sasuke, let's go. Come on," she muttered, rubbing his back.

Sakura forced Sasuke into the bath first, saying that he was far past his due date for a shower. He begrudgingly complied, but he let her know that he was not happy about it. Sakura looked around the house.

Everything for the most part was still here. After they arrived in Konoha, she'd probably get some friends to move all her junk back to her old house. When they had left this village, they had done so in a hurry. They didn't get a real chance to say proper goodbyes. They had to leave most of their belongings here.

Sakura turned her head when she noticed Sasuke coming out of the shower. Giving him a half smile, she said, "My turn now."

* * *

Sasuke sat in the living room as Sakura showered, drying off his head halfheartedly with a towel. Looking around, he noticed there wasn't much. Just a couple of book shelves and decorations, with mostly medical supplies. Underneath the table there was a binder just slightly open, and he couldn't help himself. He opened it and could not tear his eyes away.

There were pictures, a lot of them. It started off with Sakura and a baby Kenji being released from the hospital, being pushed out by Ino. Though he suppressed a grin, his eyes softened. Sakura and Ino had the biggest smiles on their faces. He flipped through the photo album, noticing more and more of Naruto. Eventually, there were pictures of Sakura and Naruto kissing, and he chuckled at that.

There were pictures of Kenji with Tsunade and his grandparents. Tsunade was giving Kenji a piggy back ride, and his grandma was hugging him tightly alongside his grumpy grandfather.

The most were with Sakura, of course, he saw one where they were in the kitchen, completely dirtied up and laughing, obviously having failed baking a treat. There were more of her tickling him or kissing him. There was one where Kenji had drawn all over her face while she was sleeping. Sasuke cracked a smile at that one. However, there was a woman with them in many, many of the pictures, more than Ino or Naruto. His eyes narrowed. He recognized her from somewhere. He was embracing her neck tightly in one, the girl's eyes bulging out. It was labeled, "_Kenji's fourth birthday._" Another particularly striking one was the woman playing catch with Kenji where she had gotten hit in the eye.

Sasuke put the album down and sighed. He didn't spot a single man in the pictures that could have been Kenji's father. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to think up possibilities. Who on earth could it be? It obviously wasn't Naruto, though now he knew that Sakura and Naruto had been together for a while. Sakura wouldn't tell him.

His head hurt.

Sakura exited the shower, shaking out her wet hair. She looked around for Sasuke and found him in the living room, intently staring at the photo album. Her lips quirked a bit.

"Having fun?" she asked, and Sasuke jumped a bit.

He closed the cover of the photo album. "Sorry," he mumbled. Sakura giggled.

"It's there for a reason; I don't mind you looking at it," she assured him, taking a seat next to his side. She saw how tense his shoulders were, the veins in his arms popping out. His fists were clenched. Hesitantly, she brushed the hair away from his neck. A tiny shiver traveled up his spine.

"You need to relax," she muttered softly. "You're too tired, and you need to rest."

"You're still recovering," he bit out, irritation clear in his voice. "I can't let anything happen to you."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. "Sasuke, I can take care of myself. Really, I can. And how are you supposed to protect me if you're so tired you can't walk straight?"

Sasuke was silent, but the conflict was clear in his eyes. "What if you are Kenji get hurt tonight? I couldn't-" he choked, unable to say anymore. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat.

Wrapping her arms around him and snuggling herself against his back, she buried her face in his neck.

"Nothing will happen," she soothed him, her breath hot against his ear. "Tonight I will watch over us, and I'll wake you up if I need you, okay?" Sasuke felt her lips quirk against his back. "I was in ANBU, I have been trained for this." She smiled at him. "Get some rest. For me." Sasuke stared at her long and hard for what seemed like an eternity.

Then he kissed her.

The kiss was brief, just a simple touch of the lips. But Sakura felt every moment of it. His eyes softened, and he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"Okay," he gave in, his lips tickling her skin.

Sakura beamed. "Thank you."

* * *

Green eyes shone through the dark. Someone had knocked at the door. Sakura knew Sasuke had woken up at the noise, but he had simply rolled to his other side. Obviously, he trusted her enough to handle it.

Readying herself, Sakura slowly opened the door. It was Kyou's mom, Kenji grabbing her hand and clutching his chest. Sakura's stomach flipped.

Kyou's mother shook her head. "I'm afraid he doesn't feel good. I thought he might just have some heartburn, but he's been complaining of chest pains the whole night." Sakura's stomach twisted, and she bent down to Kenji's level. Kissing his forehead, she noticed he had a bit of a fever.

Standing back up, she inclined her head. "Thank you for bringing him to me." She took Kenji's hand. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave tomorrow now, though."

Kenji looked as if he would burst out into tears. "Tell Kyou and Kara I said bye," he sniffed, and Kyou's mother smiled warmly at him.

"Will do."

After a short healing session, Kenji was feeling much better. He had fallen asleep on the bed, curled in the fetal position. Sakura exhaled heavily. They would have to return to Konoha by tomorrow. There would be no more time for leisurely walking. They were going to have to pick up the pace.

Peeking in on Sasuke, who had finally fallen back asleep on the couch, she let a smile slip past her lips. He really had seemed to change a bit. He was still an ass, but...this was the Sasuke she had been with on team seven. Not the monster she had seen a few months ago.

She really had missed him.

* * *

Sakura had gotten about two hours of sleep once daylight had broken. Surprisingly, both Kenji and Sasuke were still sleeping. Shaking Kenji awake, he muttered a grumpy, "Wha-at?"

"It's time to get up. We've got to get you to the hospital, honey. Okay? You're not getting better, and we need to get you some help."

Kenji grumbled but complied, swinging his legs over the bed and heading to the bathroom. Sakura didn't know what to do. What if he didn't get better? No, she mustn't think like that. She had to be positive. Kenji had been sick before, and he got better. He could get through this.

She headed over to Sasuke, and gently, she tapped his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes. Sakura didn't know how to ask this.

"Sasuke..." she started out, averting her eyes from his gaze. "Is it okay for you to come back to Konoha? Because...I don't think Kenji and I are going to leave the village again." The unspoken words 'we'll probably never see each other again' were understood clearly.

Sasuke pinched the crease between his eyes. Finally he stood up. "I'm ready to go home, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes lit up with unshed tears, and she hastily pulled Sasuke into a hug, though it was not returned at first. His arms slowly came up to circle her shoulders and pull her flush against him. The two of them stood there like that for a few moments before Kenji's "ew" drove them apart.

* * *

Kenji had fallen asleep on Sasuke's back, still exhausted from the attack he had the night before. Sakura rubbed the boy's back soothingly, cooing softly. Sasuke and Sakura had decided to take a quick break, having run for an hour already. They were only thirty minutes away from the gate. Sasuke was looking at her strangely, and Sakura didn't know how to react. His stare was questioning, curious. She narrowed her eyes at him. Did he want to ask her something?

Upon finding shade, Sasuke set Kenji down, disturbing the boy from his slumber. He protested, but Sakura told him to stay awake; they would be home soon.

"Sasuke, come with me to get some water please. I need to gather some herbs for Kenji's medicine, all right?" Sasuke grunted, and Sakura took that as a yes. They went to a stream and refilled the canteen while Sakura quickly plucked the herbs from the ground. "The root from this plant has a good effect on heart health, but the leaves are poisonous." She chuckled mirthlessly. "How cruel of Mother Nature."

"Sakura," Sasuke interrupted, his fists clenched at his side, knuckles turning white.

Sakura gulped and stammered out, "Y-yes?"

"Who is Kenji's father?"

Sakura felt as if she might faint. Why was he asking now? Taking a few deep breaths, she replied, "I can't tell you that."

"Do I know him?"

"Yes."

Sasuke looked a bit angry. "Are you embarrassed of the father?"

Sakura smiled a bit. "Not anymore."

She walked back to where Kenji was, leaving behind a Sasuke that was more confused than he had ever been.

* * *

They were now walking at a brisk pace, and Sakura knew it wasn't far.

She was feeling conflicted. Should she tell Sasuke? She felt he had redeemed himself. Kenji didn't seem to hate Sasuke, but she couldn't tell if he liked the man anymore. He had barely talked to him in the past few days. However, this wasn't solely about Kenji. She felt that Sasuke had a right to know. She had kept it from him for many years because she worried for Kenji's safety. She looked at Sasuke's face, which was no longer as bitter or hardened as it was before.

Now, she trusted him.

An excited squeal from Kenji alerted his parents, both of them deep in their thoughts, that they had arrived at the gates. He began to sprint forward.

"Be careful, Kenji!" Sakura chastised, but the little boy paid her no mind. Sasuke started to go forward as well, but Sakura curled her fingers around his wrist. "Wait."

He did, not looking at her. Inhaling sharply, Sakura imagined all the outcomes of this confession. Would he be angry? Would he be happy to find that Kenji was his son? Or maybe, he wouldn't care at all. Sakura deemed that the worst one out of them all. Relaxing her shoulders, she looked Sasuke in the eyes with determination. She was ready.

"You asked me who Kenji's father was."

"I did."

Sasuke was obviously confused, and Sakura nearly laughed at his expression, one she had never seen before. However, she was almost shaking in her spot, and she opened her mouth but it wouldn't come out. She took a deep breath.

"It's you."

Then they heard Kenji's bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

Words: 2462

wow, okay so now he knows. he knowknows. for all you who didn't catch it, Tobi actually told him, but Sasuke blocked it out because he was in too much pain, and it was a bit traumatizing to hear.

I don't know when the next update is sorry. tehe.

Hope you all enjoyed it!


	24. despair takes hold

Itachi and Kisame were currently being held in a leaf prison. Kisame was bitching and moaning about being held, but Itachi was deathly silent. Kisame couldn't blame him. They had taken his wife and daughter somewhere he could not see them. He had no idea what was happening to them right now.

Itachi was terrified.

Kisame, bound by layers of chakra seals, tried to comfort his companion who was in a similar state.

"Hey, I'm sure they won't hurt Haruna as long as Takara's there."

Itachi nodded in response, but his eyes were still wide with fear. He was trembling, and Kisame cursed underneath his breath.

They had gotten intercepted by Konoha shinobi as they were attempting to find a new place to stay. Though Itachi, Kisame, and Haruna were holding their own against them quite well, they did not expect them to play dirty.

Kisame still remembered the look of terror Itachi's eyes held when one of the shinobi grabbed hold of Takara and held a knife to her throat. He immediately dropped his weapons and surrendered, and Kisame followed suit shortly after. He wasn't a family man, but even he understood how it felt when someone threatened something dear.

Sighing, he could only hope they would be able to escape soon. Or were their inevitable executions being planned already?

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke immediately dashed to the source of the screaming.

Kenji was unmoving on the ground, Rudy standing over him. Sakura froze. His fur coat was stained with dark crimson. It wasn't fresh. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized he hadn't killed Kenji. However…

Rudy cackled maniacally, throwing his head back as he grabbed Kenji from the hair. Sakura wanted to kill him, but she knew that he could break Kenji's neck so easily at that moment. Sasuke's hand was on the hilt of his sword, but he also knew that they were at a disadvantage. He clucked his tongue.

Rudy looked at them with crazy eyes, perspiration gathering on his brow as his chest heaved up and down. He had not stopped laughing, and he had sloppily thrown Kenji under his arm. Sakura was shaking with anger, and she almost started to cry. Suddenly Rudy turned angry, and his glare was directed at Sakura.

"You bitch," he growled out. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't been there, Koga would still…" He screamed and transformed a teleportation jutsu. Sakura gasped.

"No!" she cried out, running forward, but Sasuke caught her arm before she could grab onto the escaping man.

"Sakura, no!" For once, he sounded panicked and frantic. "Rudy could hurt him. Let him get away for now."

Sakura's eyes began welling up with tears, and she let out a sob. "Sasuke," she moaned. "He took my son."

"I know."

"He took my son!" she wailed, crumpling to the ground, sobs wracking her body. Sasuke pulled her up, and Sakura struggled against him. "No, no!" she screamed, trying to rip herself away from him. She was not prepared for what happened next.

Sasuke slapped her across the face.

It hadn't hurt that much, but it had brought her to the ground. She sat there, stunned, holding her cheek.

"Pull yourself together." He pulled her to her feet again, and this time Sakura complied. "We need help to get Kenji back. We can't do it alone. We have to ask Naruto for help." His voice was shaky, and Sakura realized that she was being ridiculous. She needed to stop crying and get her son back.

"Okay."

* * *

Sasuke was immediately detained upon entering the village. He expected no less, but it was still frightening. He was bound in chakra seals, as well as physically restrained, and was shoved into a cell. The guards laughed. "We got both of them down here, huh?"

Sasuke's blood ran cold.

"Ah, have a nice family reunion, Uchiha."

* * *

Naruto had tackled Sakura with a hug. He was crying into her ear, holding her so tight she couldn't breathe.

"I was so worried about you," he choked out. Sakura only nodded in response, her eyes wide and her expression seemingly detached. "I know what Sasuke did to you. That fucking asshole. I should have killed him years ago. I've thrown that bastard into jail; don't worry-"

"Naruto." Her blank voice cut Naruto off from his rambling. "Kenji's been kidnapped."

Naruto frowned. "When?"

"Right as we were heading back to the village. Sasuke was taking us back. You need to release him so we can go get Kenji."

Naruto's face twisted into a bitter snarl. "What?" he bit out. "Don't be ridiculous, Sakura, I can't possibly let him out after what he's done to you! That bastard's going to rot in there until he dies-"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "Orochimaru has kidnapped _my son_! Don't you understand that? He might KILL Kenji, or worse, he'll steal his body!" Sakura grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "Do you fucking understand, Naruto? He's going to KILL my son!" She threw him against his desk, and he stumbled backwards, not hurt at all, just shocked at her violence.

"Sakura…"

"Sasuke helped me, okay? He let me escape, he helped me escape the bastards Orochimaru sent. Kenji would already be dead if not for him! He's changed, Naruto! He's still changing! And I need him to get our son back!" she spat, her muscles clenched so tight she thought they might rip out of her.

Naruto stared at her in shock, fingers grabbing onto his desk. "Sakura, he's a criminal."

"I know."

"He kidnapped you-"

"Fuck, Naruto, I know!" Sakura slapped a hand to her forehead, walking around in a circle. She paused, a tear trickling down her face. "I thought you would understand," she croaked, covering her eyes.

That made Naruto's stomach flip and his chest clench. What was he doing? This was the woman he loved, crying because she had just lost her son. He wouldn't even hear her out, too preoccupied on the wrongs Sasuke had done to hear her experiences.

He pulled out a chair for her, and she shot him a questioning glance.

"Sit. Tell me everything."

She did.

* * *

Sasuke slowly turned his head.

Itachi.

He violently pulled against his restraints, not knowing his brother had done the same days ago, albeit for different reasons. There was only one thought racing through his head.

Kill, kill, kill-

He stopped when he saw the look on his brother's face. It was completely ashen, as if he were dead. He wasn't of course, his chest was still moving, but Itachi was visibly shaken. He hadn't even taunted Sasuke as he would before, hadn't even spared him a glance.

Sasuke attempted to calm down, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes. He needed to think. There were more important things than Itachi right now.

Thinking back on it now, there were so many signs that Kenji had been his son. The fact that Sakura had been so adamant about not revealing the father's name to him, the black eyes, the spiky hair…

The fact that he and Sakura had had sex just over six years ago had completely escaped his mind.

Hanging his head in shame, he felt his eyes sting. The guilt started washing over him in waves. He had hurt his son, his own son. He had shocked him into a heart attack. He had starved him, deprived him of sleep. It was one thing to do it to Sakura. That had been bad enough. It was another to do it to his son.

He deserved to die.

Kisame noticed Sasuke at last.

"Oh, Itachi-san, it's your little brother." Itachi slowly turned his head to the side, eyes connecting with Sasuke's.

Itachi didn't say anything, but Sasuke could see so much confusion swirling around in his mind, along with relief.

He could have sworn he heard Itachi whisper, "_you're okay…_" but he brushed it off.

He had more important things to think about besides Itachi right now.

* * *

Words:1337

Sorry for the wait guys! I've been busy in Uni. ugh.

thanks for reading.


	25. you don't know what to do

Naruto breathed in deeply. "So that's what happened these past few months."

Sakura nodded curtly. "Yes, now there's no time to waste."

Naruto returned the gesture. "I agree. Now, we'll send out all our best ANBU-"

"Send Sasuke and I."

Naruto held back a grimace. "Sakura, I can't. You've just gotten back, he's a criminal, and I have Uchiha Itachi here as well."

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. "Itachi's here too? He can help us!"

Naruto slammed his hands down on his desk. "Sakura, no!"

Sakura's face turned red with anger. "I just explained everything to you and still-" She cut herself off. "Whatever, I'll go get him myself." She turned on her heel, but Naruto caught her wrist with an iron hold. "Let go of me," she whispered lowly. She tried to slip her hand out, but he wouldn't let go. She eyed him dangerously.

"I'm still the Hokage, what I say goes."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, a sneer upon her lips. Yanking her arm away from him, she grabbed his shirt and knocked her forehead with his. "I don't care if you're the Hokage or not. Don't get in my way."

Naruto felt a shiver go down his spine at the violence promised in her eyes. He really needed to get on her good side again; hopefully she would love him again.

"Okay, I'll put them all in an interrogation room." Naruto gave her a stern look. "However, you have to watch over one of the prisoners for me."Naruto turned his back on her. Sakura realized she had no choice this time. For Kenji, she would.

Shortly, a woman with pitch-black hair was pushed into the office by Naruto. She stumbled in nearly violently, clutching something in her arms. "You fucking shit, you don't treat women like this!" She stomped her foot down. "Did you hear me?"

Sakura gasped. "Haruna?"

Haruna flipped around to gaze at Sakura. Her eyes welled up with tears at once. She covered her mouth with her fingers, her body trembling. "Sakura," she said, her voice cracking. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

Soon enough, Itachi joined the two women and the baby in the Hokage's office. Shortly after, Kisame came in with a grin on his face, soon to be punched off by Haruna. Sakura prayed that the interrogation between Naruto and Sasuke would go well. She just hoped they would get to Kenji in time.

* * *

Naruto couldn't find words as he saw Sasuke for the first time in years. He was older, for sure. His cheekbones were more prominent than before, his eyes more sunken in, and his face longer. He was taller, and he had definitely packed on some muscle weight.

How Naruto hated his guts right now.

"Well, bastard, it seems you've made your way back here finally, huh," Naruto said coldly, his eyes lacking all warmth.

For some reason, Sasuke got a nauseating feeling from the Hokage. This man was not the Naruto he remembered.

"Well, loser, Sakura dragged me back here."

Naruto smiled bitterly at him, going through some paperwork in Sasuke's file. "You haven't changed," he muttered out angrily, signing his name with frustration.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "You have."

Naruto shot a glare at Sasuke before exiting the room, slamming the door loudly.

* * *

The guards took Sasuke to the office as well. He almost growled when he saw his brother sitting there, but he managed to control himself. Kenji, his son, was in danger, and he couldn't have his vengeance while knowing he had caused his son's death.

He walked to Sakura's side. "What's going on?" He asked in a hushed whisper, and Sakura shook her head in response.

"I don't know; they haven't told me anything." Sakura looked at him with worried eyes, flitting back and forth between him and his brother. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke shoulders were tensed and his jaw was clenched, aiming a glare straight at his brother. "Just fine," he grit out. Sakura sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, you don't know the whole story. Just hang on there." He nodded tersely, his hand clenching into tight fists.

Naruto came in, actually rather gracefully to Sasuke's surprise. He threw some files on his desk harshly, and he sat down in his big chair. "Sakura, I ran through some files," OR rather Hinata did."-and I found that your story about Itachi checks out."

Sasuke turned to Sakura quickly, and she gave him an impatient look. "Just wait," she hissed.

Naruto crossed his arms. "We will be sending out an elite team to retrieve Haruno Kenji. It will consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame, and two ANBU teams. If the three of you step out of line, you will be eliminated on the spot."

Why was Itachi coming? Sasuke could feel his heart pounding in his ears.

Sakura touched his arm. "Sasuke, we need to have a talk."

* * *

short and a long wait i know. sorry. I think i'll have the next chapter done within the next month and it'll be longer i promise.


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